The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secured guilty verdicts in two separate trials this week. On Wednesday, May 17, a jury found Jerry Sargent, 63, of Sparta, guilty of Gross Sexual Imposition in a case involving an 8-year-old girl. The victim said that in Jun...

The office of Franklin County Prosecutor G. Gary Tyack presented evidence surrounding the death of Sinzae Reed, 13, to the Franklin County Grand Jury on May 17 and 18, 2023. Multiple witnesses testified under oath. Pertinent legal instructions were provided to the Grand Jury. ...

Judge Carl Aveni sentenced Christopher Payne, 27, of Columbus, to a life sentence of no less than 40 years for the 2020 drive-by shooting that killed the unborn child of the 15-year-old girl who was shot in the incident. Kirk Shaw, an assistant prosecuting attorney, and Keith ...

Columbus police detective indicted for leaving the scene of crash that left woman dead COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that the Franklin County grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Detective Demetris Ortega, 49,...

Anthony Williams Found Guilty of Sexual Imposition and Rape of a Child Under the Age of 13 COLUMBUS, Ohio — Anthony Williams, 31, of Columbus, was found guilty today of raping two young relatives. Williams had been charged in September 2020 with one count of gross sexual...

Christopher Payne, 27, of Columbus, was found guilty Thursday, April 13, of all 12 charges against him, including murder and attempted murder, related to a drive-by shooting in 2020 that injured a 15-year-old girl and killed her unborn baby. A Franklin County jury agreed wi...

On April 6, a Franklin County jury found Cortez Jackson, 33, guilty of the 2021 murder of Alyse Edwards, his girlfriend at the time with whom he had three children. Jackson, of Columbus, had been charged with two counts of murder with a 3-year firearm specification in Edwa...

Q’Juantez Poole, 23, was sentenced by Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Cocroft Thursday to a life sentence of at least 27 years in prison for the 2020 shooting death of 26-year-old Dontey Wiley in 2020. Poole has been in jail since the day of the assault, Oct. 7, 20...

Henry Borges pleaded guilty today to voluntary manslaughter with a firearm specification in the 2020 shooting death of Ricky Rittenberry. He also pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of a weapon while under detention. He was immediately sentenced to the recommended se...

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Carl Aveni on Tuesday sentenced Raylin Jarrett, 25, of Columbus to 13 years in prison following Jarret’s guilty plea to aggravated robbery with a 3-year firearm specification and 12 counts of robbery. On March 31, 2021, Jarrett wa...