Meigs November Grand Jury Returns 14 Indictments

Meigs November Grand Jury Returns 14 Indictments

(Editor’s Note: An indictment by a grand jury does not mean the individual is guilty of a crime. It is part of the legal process. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)

POMEROY, Ohio – The Meigs Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney James K. Stanley announces that the November 2020 session of the Meigs County Grand Jury returned 14 indictments against 12 individuals.  Those indicted include the following:

Brad Branham, 21, of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Minor, a felony of the fourth degree.  Branham is alleged to have had sexual intercourse with a fifteen-year-old female.  The Cedar City Police Department (Utah), the Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Meigs County Department of Job & Family Services investigated this matter.  Branham is currently in prison for an unrelated conviction.

Matthew Brown, 21, of Pomeroy, Ohio, was indicted for Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor, a felony of the fourth degree.  Brown is alleged to have been in possession of child pornography.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

David Cline, 49, of Long Bottom, Ohio, was indicted for Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fifth degree.  Cline is alleged to have been in possession of numerous stolen items that were discovered during the execution of a search warrant at his residence.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Anthony Davis, 33, of Langsville, Ohio, was indicted for Failure to Comply with an Order or Signal of a Police Officer, a felony of the third degree.  Davis is alleged to have fled from law enforcement near Salem Center, Ohio.  In a separate indictment, Davis was indicted for another count of Failure to Comply with an Order or Signal of a Police Officer, a felony of the third degree.  Davis is alleged to have fled from law enforcement between Pomeroy, Ohio and Harrisonville, Ohio.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated these matters.  While Davis was not apprehended during either incident, Davis was subsequently arrested and remains in jail.

Jesse Harris, 33, of Reedsville, Ohio, was indicted for Breaking & Entering, a felony of the fifth degree.  Harris is alleged to have broken into a residence in the Reedsville, area and to have stolen numerous items.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Michael Imboden, 39 of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree.  Imboden is alleged to have been in possession of methamphetamine during a traffic stop.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Whitney Ours, 24, of Huntington, West Virginia, was indicted for Misuse of Credit Cards, a felony of the fourth degree.  Ours is alleged to have used an elderly family member’s credit card without that person’s permission.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Destiny Ramsey, 19, of Pomeroy, Ohio, was indicted for Vandalism, a felony of the fifth degree, and Assault, a misdemeanor of the first degree.  Ramsey is alleged to have caused significant damaging to a holding cell at the Middleport Jail and to have assaulted a jail employee at the time.  The Middleport Police Department investigated this matter.

Amanda Saxon, 40, of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree, Tampering with Evidence, a felony of the third degree, and Obstructing Official Business, a misdemeanor of the second degree.  Saxon is alleged to have been in possession of a stolen motorcycle, to have hidden the motorcycle from law enforcement during a consent search of her residence, and to have prevented law enforcement from recovering the motorcycle during the search.  The disassembled motorcycle was subsequently discovered during the execution of a search warrant at that residence.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Xantha Smith, 34, of Rutland, Ohio, was indicted for two counts of Felonious Assault, each a felony of the second degree.  Smith is alleged to have shot two people at a residence near Rutland.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation Major Crimes-Crime Scene Unit investigated this matter.  Smith is currently in jail.

Robert Thorla, Jr., 42, of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree, Tampering with Evidence, a felony of the third degree, and Obstructing Official Business, a misdemeanor of the second degree.  Thorla is alleged to have been in possession of a stolen motorcycle, to have hidden the motorcycle from law enforcement during a consent search of a residence, and to have prevented law enforcement from recovering the motorcycle during the search.  The disassembled motorcycle was subsequently discovered during the execution of a search warrant at that residence.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.  Thorla is currently in jail.

Kyle Wolfe, 31, of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Vandalism, a felony of the fifth degree.  Wolfe is alleged to have caused significant damaging to a holding cell at the Middleport Jail.  The Middleport Police Department investigated this matter.  In a separate indictment, Wolfe was indicted for Attempted Trespass in a Permanent or Temporary Habitation, a felony of the fifth degree, and Domestic Violence, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  Wolfe is alleged to have tried to break into a residence and to have threatened a family member.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.  Wolfe is currently in jail.

All cases will proceed in Meigs County Court of Common Pleas.

For informational purposes, possible penalties for felony offenses committed before March 22, 2019 include: felonies of the first degree- 3-11 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine; felonies of the second degree- 2-8 years in prison and up to a $15,000 fine; felonies of the third degree- 9-36 months in prison and up to a $10,000 fine; felonies of the fourth degree- 6-18 months in prison and up to a $5,000 fine; felonies of the fifth degree- 6-12 months in prison and up to a $2,500 fine.  Possible penalties for first and second degree felonies committed on or after March 22, 2019 include: felonies of the first degree- a minimum sentence of 3-11 years in prison with an indefinite maximum sentence of up to 16.5 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine; felonies of the second degree- a minimum sentence of 2-8 years in prison with an indefinite maximum sentence of up to 12 years in prison and up to a $15,000 fine.  For most felonies of the fourth and fifth degrees, sentencing guidelines found in the Ohio Revised Code require first-time offenders to be sentenced to community control unless certain conditions exist permitting the imposition of a prison sentence.