Press Releases

Feb 06 2024

Defendant: Dwayne Cummings

Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secures guilty verdict in 2022 murder case
A jury today found Columbus resident Dwayne Cummings guilty of one count of murder in the death of Gregory Coleman, Jr. in September of 2022. Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Chris Brown presided over the trial, and immediately sentenced Cummings to a life sentence ...
Jan 29 2024

Defendant: James Scaff

James Scaff sentenced for stealing police ammunition and for multiple other thefts
James Scaff was sentenced on Jan. 25 to eight years and nine months in prison for his role in multiple break-ins and thefts in March and April 2023, and for illegally possessing firearms. Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Cocroft presided over the hearing...
Dec 20 2023

Defendant: Robin Sebastian

Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Verdict for 2021 Murder
A Franklin County jury on Dec. 15 found Columbus resident Robin Sebastian guilty of murdering Pradeep Anand in 2021. Franklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Don Miller and Rob Doersam handled the case. Miller and Doersam established that Sebastian, 34, fatally stabb...
Dec 04 2023

Defendant: Christopher Lee Kimmel

Christopher Lee Kimmel found guilty, sentenced for theft of police ammunition and other items.
Christopher Lee Kimmel, 37, of Columbus pleaded guilty on Friday, Dec. 1, to multiple charges related to two thefts, one which involved stolen police ammunition. Kimmel pleaded guilty to two counts of breaking and entering, three counts of possession of criminal tools, f...
Dec 04 2023

Defendant: John Allen

Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secures guilty verdicts in three separate rape cases
On Nov. 30, the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secured guilty verdicts against John Allen of Columbus, 47, for the rapes of three separate victims. Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Thomas Vaccaro and Chynna Kelley prosecuted the case for the prosecutor’s offic...
Nov 27 2023

Defendant: Mason Thompson-Bray & Skylor VanHouten

Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secures multiple guilty verdicts in 2022 double murder case
On Nov. 21, the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secured a total of 17 guilty verdicts against Mason Thompson-Bray of Grove City, 23, and Skylor VanHouten of Springfield, 22, for the 2022 murders of Francisco Rodriguez and Trintan Mendoza. Assistant Prosecutin...
Nov 21 2023

Defendant: Johnnie Wappner

Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office secures guilty verdict in 2022 murder case
On Nov. 17, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office secured three guilty verdicts against Johnnie Wappner, 33, for the 2022 murder of Marcus Deloney, 32. A jury found Wappner, of Columbus, guilty of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault, all with three-year firearm s...
Nov 20 2023

Defendant: Othman Abdu

Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secures life sentence in 2021 murder case
Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Sheryl Munson today sentenced Othman Abdu, 20, to life in prison for the 2021 murder of 21-year-old Nazeer Winton and the shooting of another person who survived. Abdu will be eligible for parole after 39 years. A Franklin County ...
Nov 08 2023

Defendant: Christopher Freeman, Donyea Spruell, Sha’Briana Jenkins

Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secures guilty pleas in 2021 mistaken identity shooting
The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secured guilty pleas from three defendants involved in the shooting of a woman at an east side parking lot. Christopher Freeman, 30, of Columbus, Donyea Spruell, 21, of Columbus, and Sha’Briana Jenkins, 26, of Reynoldsburg, all...
Nov 03 2023

Defendant: Columbus Division of Police’s SWAT unit

Franklin County Grand Jury Votes Not to Indict SWAT Unit Members Involved in Fatal Shooting in February 2023
A Franklin County Grand Jury on Thursday voted not to indict members of the Columbus Division of Police’s SWAT unit involved in the shooting death of Bret Andrews, 46, of Athens County. On Feb. 11, 2023, members of the SWAT unit arrived in the parking lot of the Home Depot ...

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