SIDNEY — A area man has been charged for allegedly setting fire to a Sidney home on Sept. 24. He was one of 21 people indicted by the Shelby County Grand Jury, Thursday, Oct. 18.

Other defendants were indicted on sex-related charges, financial theft, and one who is accused of using illegal drugs at a local nursing home. Arraignment for those charged will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, in Shelby County Common Pleas Court.

Josey Rafferty, 33, at large, was charged with aggravated arson, a second-degree felony, being accused of setting fire to an occupied residence in the 500 block of Oak Avenue in Sidney. The fire displaced two occupants and caused $60,000 in damage to the structure and $15,000 to the contents.

At 7:36 that morning, city firefighters were called to a fire at a two-story duplex home. Heavy fire was coming from the front porch and one side of the house when they arrived. One resident was able to escape unharmed as a second occupant was not home.

Rafferty remains incarcerated at the Shelby County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond.

Richard W. McCafferty, 45, 0f Mount Victory, was indicted on three counts of gross sexual imposition, all third-degree felonies. He is being accused of having sexual contact with a nine-year-old girl some 10 years ago.

Prosecutors are claiming he made sexual contact three times with the girl between June 1 through Dec. 28, 2008.

• Serra J. Jess, 38, at large, was charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and, theft, a fifth-degree felony.

She allegedly removed a surveillance video when an investigation began into her being accused of taking $1,210 from the Rainbow Grill, 126 N. Ohio Ave.

• Authorities have indicted Steven C. Erter, 56, 403 Ruby Court, Anna, with grand theft, a fourth-degree felony. He is accused of taking money from the EMI Corp. of Jackson Center, where he was an employee.

Online court records indicate between Jan. 1, 2013, through Sept. 1, 2018, Erter allegedly took an amount of more than $7,500 and $150,000.

• Three people who cashed fraudulent checks at First National Bank in Sidney on Sept. 5 have each been charged with forgery, all fifth-degree felonies.

Indicted were Shane D. Bays, 31, of Obetz, Dolores Penrod, 56, of Columbus, and Robert E. Randolph, 48, of Lancaster.

California man nabbed with drugs at Fair Haven

Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Gregory M. Williams, 56, of Tarzana, California, Oct. 7, when he was allegedly found with drugs in the parking lot of Fair Haven Shelby County Home.

He was charged with aggravated possession of drugs, possession of criminal tools

According to online court records, Williams, and male traveling companion, entered Fair Haven the night before claiming to be visiting Williams’ mother. The next day they were found in an empty room and believed to have spent the night. When they asked for a metal spoon, deputies were notified suspecting drug use.

They arrested Williams and permitted the traveler to leave. Williams remains jailed at the county jail.

Rodney Kesler, 61, at large, was indicted for resisting arrest, a fourth-degree felony. He is accused of slamming a car door on the arms of a detective and brandishing a two-foot pipe while fighting with officers while being arrested.

Online records indicated Kesler has a history of criminal and traffic offenses. It was noted his has more than 20 current suspension orders on his driver’s license, plus he currently faces other charges in Miami County.

In Sidney Municipal Court, he currently faces charges of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, driving under suspension, and, criminal damaging, both first-degree misdemeanors, and, resisting arrest, a second-degree misdemeanor, following an arrest on Oct. 10.

In other cases:

• Bradley A. Stout, 38, Wapakoneta, was indicted on two counts of forgery, both fifth-degree felonies. He is accused of forging a police officer’s signature plus filing a false police report to commit fraud on EcoAIM.

He remains incarcerated at the county jail.

• Larry A. Epley Jr., at large, is also housed at the county jail on a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, and, possession of criminal tools, all fifth-degree felonies.

He was arrested on June 18 allegedly in possession of Methamphetamine.

• Rodney L. Schloss, 32, 419 Michigan St., was charged with two counts of aggravated possession of drugs and possession of drugs, all fifth-degree felonies.

He was arrested April 19 allegedly in possession of Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and cocaine.

• Joe R. Stout, 49, Kokomo, Indiana, aggravated possession of drugs and possession of criminal tools, both fifth-degree felonies, and, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, a first-degree misdemeanor.

He was arrested Oct. 6 supposedly under the influence Methamphetamine while driving.

• Tevyn Wilkins, 22, 1915 Shawnee Drive, possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony.

He was arrested on Oct. 7 allegedly in possession of heroin.

• Zackery Napier, 717 Mohave Court, two counts of trafficking in drugs, a third-degree felony, and possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. The indictment also includes specifications that Napier forfeited $1,925 in cash allegedly gained through drug sales.

He was arrested June 29 supposedly with Hashish and marijuana.

• James M. Wilburn, 25, 333 ½ Enterprise Ave., receiving stolen property and forgery, both fifth-degree felonies. He is accused of receiving a stolen check and forging the name of an elderly person on the document on Aug. 2.

• Ashley R. Brim, 30, at large, receiving stolen property and forgery, both fifth-degree felonies. She allegedly received a stolen check on July 24 and forging the name of an elderly person on the check.

• Chad Michael Harris, 42, 320 N. Miami Ave., domestic violence, a third-degree felony.

He is accused of pushing a woman into a wall at his home on Aug. 27 injuring her ribs and shoulder. The indictment notes Harris has three previous domestic violence convictions in Hardin County.

• Stephanie L. Hartline, 28, 221 ½ E. Court St., illegal use of supplemental nutrition of WIC benefits, a fifth-degree felony, and, falsification, a first-degree misdemeanor.

She is accused of providing false information to obtain $353 in food assistance between June 1 and July 31.

• Cass Hensley III, 41, at large, failure to provide a change of address, a third-degree felony. He allegedly failed to provide an address to authorities due to his classification as a sex offender. He remains incarcerated at the county jail.