SIDNEY — In partnership with local law enforcement agencies, and with the involvement of members of the Shelby County community who served on the grand jury this year, the Office of the Prosecutor in Shelby County indicted 277 criminal felony cases in Shelby County in 2022.

In comparison, 371 criminal cases were indicted in 2021, 333 in 2020, and 383 in 2019.

“We are hopeful that this is a positive trend in our community and believe it is the product of the hard work of our local law enforcement,” said Shelby County Prosecutor Tim Sell.

His report continues:

Drugs continue to be a significant issue in our community, although law enforcement representatives believe that illegal use and trafficking incidents seem to be on the decline.

Unfortunately, child sex crimes and child pornography possession and dissemination case numbers are on the rise, along with high speed chases where individuals are fleeing from law enforcement on traffic stops.

Among the noteworthy cases in 2022 handled by the office are that of Todd Freeman, who had been on the run since his 2018 indictment for the rape of a girl under the age of 13, a first-degree felony, and who was tracked down by U.S. Marshals in Sullivan, Indiana, in September 2022, that of Claudie Whitt, who was arrested in May 2022 and indicted on multiple counts of creating and filming child pornography, all second degree felony offenses, and that of William Justice, indicted for one count of rape, one count of kidnapping, a felony of the first degree, and multiple counts of second-felony creation of child pornography in March 2022, all involving a toddler.

Freeman pleaded guilty to one count of rape, making him a Tier 3 sexual offender required to register every 90 days for the rest of his life, with a sentence of 10-15 years. Whitt pleaded guilty to two charges of pandering obscenity involving a minor, making him a Tier 2 sexual offender required to register in person every 180 days for a period of 25 years, with a total sentence of 14-17.5 years, and Justice pleaded guilty to five counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor, making him a Tier 2 sexual offender, with a total sentence of 30-33 years.

A local case which received national attention involved a home invasion shooting which occurred at a residence on Kuther Road in Sidney in July 2022, where an ex-boyfriend of a resident attempted to enter the home. After repeated verbal warnings not to enter were given by the homeowner, the ex-boyfriend was shot by the homeowner as he forced open the door, and passed away after falling to the ground at the property.

I advised the grand jury of the law regarding the crimes of murder, voluntary manslaughter, and reckless homicide as they applied to this incident, as well as the “Stand your Ground” and “Castle Doctrine” laws recently enacted by the Ohio State legislature. The grand jury deliberated and determined by an 8-to-1 vote that a felony indictment should not be issued in this incident.

Joining the ranks of the Prosecutor’s Office team of attorneys in 2023 is local attorney Andrew Venters, who will take on township and civil matters for the office as Assistant Prosecutor Eric Ambos moves on to a legal position in Columbus, Ohio.

We are excited to welcome Assistant Prosecutor Venters to the office. We think he brings a wealth of experience to this position and will be an excellent addition.

Sell and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Bill Zimmerman, along with Prosecuting Attorneys Heath Hegemann and Madison Brinkman, handle criminal felony cases, juvenile cases, and most child abuse/neglect/dependency cases within the county, as well as misdemeanor complaints originating within the county villages.

Our goal has always been to promote and ensure public safety in our county by prosecuting crime justly and aggressively so that Shelby County can continue to be a great place for citizens to live and thrive.