MAN INDICTED FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER FOR PROVIDING FENTANYL THAT LED TO VICTIM’S FATAL OVERDOSE
Posted on 9/2/2020
Defendant: Paul Nelson Chiles AKA Tommy Gunz
Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, “This drug dealer provided illegal narcotics to coerce and force his victims into human trafficking and to exploit the victims for his own financial gain. One of his victims fatally overdosed from the Fentanyl provided by the suspect.” Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced today that the Franklin County Grand Jury has returned a 19 count indictment against Paul Nelson Chiles AKA Tommy Gunz, age 36, for the following:
Trafficking in Persons – Commercial Sex Acts with Specification
Compelling Prostitution
Promoting Prostitution
Involuntary Manslaughter
Gross Abuse of a Corpse
Tampering With Evidence
Corrupting Another With Drugs
Possession of a Fentanyl-Related Compound
Trafficking in a Fentanyl-Related Compound
Possession of Cocaine
Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs
Trafficking in Cocaine
The indictment alleges that the Human Trafficking and Prostitution counts in the indictment involved 5 victims between the time span of January 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. All of the females were expected to post ads on sex/escort websites to attract clients. “The defendant primarily targeted and recruited females to work for him that were vulnerable and homeless and he controlled the women through threats, physical abuse, and by keeping them drug dependent,” O’Brien further stated. On April 9, 2020, Chiles provided the Fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of a 6th victim, age 21. “The Coroner found her cause of death to be Acute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Intoxication,” O’Brien stated. O’Brien commended the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force for their thorough investigation of this case. Arraignment for Chiles is scheduled for this Friday, September 4th, at 1:30 pm in courtroom 2B at 345 S. High Street in downtown Columbus.