Two Piketon residents were indicted by the Ross County Grand Jury on Friday, August 14th on charges of counterfeiting. According to the Ross County Prosecutor’s Office, the offense occurred on February 1st of 2020 when Chillicothe Police were called to the Salvation Army store on N. Bridge Street in Chillicothe in reference to possible counterfeit bills that were attempted to be passed by a customer.
Officers arrived on scene and spoke with the cashier on duty who told them Brittany D. Lusk, 27, had entered the store and attempted to pay for selected merchandise with a fake $20 bill. Ms. Lusk then left the store with Robert W. Faber, 36. The two are then reported to have returned to the scene and were subsequently questioned by police. Mr. Faber was then found to be in possession of two counterfeit $20 bills matching the counterfeit bill Ms. Lusk had attempted to pass earlier.
Ms. Lusk and Mr. Faber have each been indicted on a single fourth-degree felony count of counterfeiting.
In another co-defendant case from Friday’s Grand Jury session, two Chillicothe men were indicted on felony charges of breaking and entering.
According to the Ross County Prosecutor's Office, an officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was performing a routine drive through Great Seal State Park on April 5th of 2020 when they noticed a window broken out of the park maintenance building. The officer heard a noise coming from inside the building and when entering a door to the building to investigate, they heard another door of the building slam shut. The officer then called out for whoever was inside the building to show themselves. Justin L. Allen, 35, of Chillicothe, soon revealed himself to the officer. Mr. Allen then informed the officer he was accompanied by a second individual, Brandon K. Ackley, 37, of Chillicothe, who was hiding in the nearby woods. Mr. Ackley soon came out of his hiding spot and confessed to the officer that he had been the person who'd broken into the building, and that he'd also broken into the building two days prior on April 3rd. The two men were then placed under arrest. While performing a pat-down of Mr. Ackley, the officer discovered .79 grams of methamphetamine on Mr. Ackley's person.
Justin L. Allen has been indicted on a single fifth-degree felony count of breaking and entering, while Brandon K. Ackley has been indicted on two fifth-degree felony charges of breaking and entering and a single fifth-degree felony charge of aggravated possession of drugs.
In total, the Ross County Grand Jury was presented with 34 cases during its Friday session. All 34 cases were returned with only 12 open to the public.
Other individuals indicted during Friday’s session were:
Christopher A. Varney, 25, of Chillicothe, has been indicted on a single third-degree felony charge of burglary. The offense took place on January 25th, 2020.
James C. Zamor Jr., 32, of Chillicothe, has been indicted on a single fourth-degree felony charge of receiving stolen property. The offense took place on June 21st, 2020.
Jamie L. Osborne, 31, of Chillicothe, has been indicted on a single fourth-degree felony count of trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present. The offense took place on February 2nd, 2020.
Stephen B. Chaffin, 35, of Lancaster, has been indicted on a single fifth-degree felony count of breaking and entering and a single fifth-degree felony charge of possession of criminal tools. The offense took place on February 16th, 2020.
David M. Stemen, 34, of Chillicothe, has been indicted on a single fourth-degree felony count of domestic violence. The offense occurred on June 17th, 2020.
Austin W. Mick, 30, of Richmond Dale, has been indicted on a single first-degree misdemeanor count of domestic violence. The offense took place on June 27th, 2020.
David A. Butcher, 34, of Londonderry, has been indicted on a single fourth-degree felony charge of receiving stolen property. The offense took place on April 18th, 2020.
Jesse J. Chamberlin, 29, of Frankfort, has been indicted on a single third-degree misdemeanor count of criminal mischief and a single fifth-degree felony charge of breaking and entering. The offenses were committed on March 21st, 2020.