Latest news with #NBC4Investigates
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Charges filed in skimmer SNAP thefts
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Hundreds of Ohioans are one step closer to justice; the Ohio Investigative Unit has indicted three people accused of using credit card skimmers to steal more than half a million dollars from some of our most vulnerable neighbors and, ultimately, taxpayers. NBC4 Investigates has been reporting on stolen SNAP benefits, which used to be known as food stamps. The suspects are accused of stealing more than half a million dollars of Ohio SNAP funds, but that's just in Ohio. Investigators tracked these three individuals across the United States, where they are accused of using skimmers to steal funds from SNAP recipients and from every taxpayer. Unsolved Ohio: Who killed Amy Jo Nelson? Family wants answers in 2017 homicide 'It was embarrassing, disappointing, I did not understand what was going on at first,' Shadawna Collier, who had her SNAP benefits stolen, said. NBC4 Investigates asked a social worker who helped raise the alarm about this development after nearly a year of investigation by the Ohio Investigative Unit into the use of card skimmers, which resulted in the theft of at least $600,000 in SNAP benefits across Ohio. 'I love it,' licensed social worker Lakisa Dukes said. 'I love it because I felt like so many people had been affected by this and no one was listening.' Dukes heard from many clients who were targets of SNAP fraud. 'This is literally families who, that is all they have for food,' Dukes said. After faculty overwhelmingly voted to unionize, Ohio University is suing them again NBC4 Investigates found that in Ohio last year, nearly 27,000 people reported their SNAP benefits stolen: almost $14 million of taxpayer money, gone. The suspects arrested now are allegedly responsible for part of that amount. 'It's relieving,' Collier said. 'I know a lot of people rely on the food stamps.' 'Our suspects in this case victimize some of the poorest people that we have, you know, across the country, because they use SNAP benefits from all over the country,' Ohio Investigative Unit Agent in Charge Sam Love said. Investigators tracked the suspects across the United States and found dozens of fraudulent cards filled with stolen funds. 'They're very transient, they travel all over,' Love said. 'They went all over the country.' Ohio House Minority Leader stepping down from leadership position A release from OIU said: 'A search warrant executed on their vehicle led to the seizure of more than $62,600 in cash, several gold coins, various pieces of gold jewelry, four cell phones, suspected cloned credit cards, and records.' When investigators arrested the suspects, they allegedly found machines used to copy stolen card information and skimmers. 'The ones they are putting on now are pretty small,' Love said. 'They can slip right onto the terminal and it takes a good bit of effort for us to pull them off.' The thefts are being reported across the United States. Most states, including Ohio, use SNAP cards that swipe, making them easy targets. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says adding a chip feature to the SNAP cards could stop about 85% of the thefts. Woman charged in the murder of 8-year-old Columbus boy found in attic reaches plea agreement 'We know there's more going on,' Love said. 'So the work continues, but it's just, you know, on to the next case.' Some states have moved to add chip technology to SNAP cards. Ohio has tried, but the bill in the statehouse has not moved forward. The last time we told you about this issue was because the federal government had stopped reimbursing people whose benefits were stolen. Investigators share that this was an added push for them to get these indictments against the suspects, and the investigation is ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Solar panels offer financial benefits to Ohio communities
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — More and more central Ohio communities are wrestling with whether to allow solar projects. NBC4 Investigates has covered concerns some residents have in Knox County, worrying about losing farmland, while others are concerned about the impact on the quality of life. Now, NBC4 is looking into how these projects could mean more money for schools. These central Ohio Walmart locations set for remodel Renewable energy companies can pay a lump sum to local governments instead of paying property taxes. Some worry it isn't enough money, so we're investigating what's being paid. If the Frasier solar project in Knox County is approved, the project will produce enough energy to power the equivalent of 14,000 homes for a year. 'I began thinking, which way do I want things to go?' Debbie Wells, who lives across from the proposed project, said. Wells has lived across from the proposed site near Mount Vernon for more than 30 years, and it isn't the first big project proposed across from her front yard. 'Shortly after I built the house, I started hearing things from my neighbors about an ethanol plant wanting to come in,' Wells said. That plant didn't happen; then she heard about the solar project. Ohio State faculty vote to join Big Ten alliance against Trump 'It was like déjà vu about 32 years later,' Wells said. This time, she supports the idea. She expects something to come, and she'd rather look at panels than a housing complex. 'Being that, it was something that I was going to be opening up my blinds and seeing every day. It was very important to me,' Wells said. She also supports the benefit it could bring to Mount Vernon schools, as does a district teacher, who said the money could pay for more staff. 'There's only 24 hours in the day and when I have 160 kids that I have to grade and plan and try to differentiate for with no active co-teacher or support in my classroom, it's challenging,' Mount Vernon High School teacher Scott Patterson said. Ground broken at Astor Park's residential development surrounding Field Solar projects across the state are participating in payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, programs. This allows renewable energy companies to pay fixed annual payments to local governments instead of paying property taxes. 'It's a nice supplement and it allows us to move forward with, as I said, equipment and supplies that we maybe would hesitate or delay getting based on budgets,' Vantage Career Center Superintendent Rick Turner said. This program is underway in Paulding County, where Turner is. In fiscal year 2024, the Wayne Trace School District received $1.8 million from the PILOT program. 'This income is not sustainable to replace state and local funding,' Turner said. 'It is, however, a benefit to the schools and in other ways.' Knox County Project could generate nearly half a million dollars a year for Mount Vernon City Schools. Those with Frasier Solar say it would bring in $42.8 million to the county as a whole over the span of 40 years. Ohio University composts nearly 100% of campus food waste The Mount Vernon school district isn't taking a side. In a statement, Mount Vernon City Schools Superintendent said: 'Because it has become politically divisive with varying viewpoints throughout the community, we have remained neutral on this issue from a district perspective. We have a potential bond issue in the fall for new and renovated buildings so we have taken the position of letting the process take its course, and we would be supportive of the final decision. If additional funds were to be provided through this process, we earmark a significant portion towards STEM and College and Career pathway support.' Opponents argue the project takes prime farmland out of use and could hurt quality of life. The next step is for the Ohio Power Siting board to approve or reject the project; the next meeting will be in mid-May. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
‘False narrative': Fleet administrator denies Columbus fire vehicle concerns
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Columbus fire union said the Columbus Division of Fire is facing a 'critical' vehicle shortage, but the city Fleet Administrator said there's no such issue. NBC4 Investigates sat down with Fleet Administrator Kelly Reagan to discuss Columbus Division of Fire (CFD) vehicle concerns. Reagan said there is a lack of funds, but called the shortage a 'false narrative,' saying CFD has enough trucks for its needs. However, fire union statements and internal CFD emails show the division is having to make tough choices because there are not enough vehicles, including possibly undertraining the current recruit class. 'Yes, it's aging. Is it aging beyond use? No,' Reagan said. 'Is there enough equipment that they can do training? Yes. So I think it's important to understand that the narrative just needs to be corrected a bit.' Ohio libraries could lose millions in federal funding Emails dated last week show members of CFD leadership debated delaying the 122 Class's April 11 graduation or placing recruits on the streets without standard vehicle training. Union President Steve Stein called both choices unacceptable, and last Thursday's training had to be canceled due to a lack of usable vehicles. NBC4 Investigates asked about these documented concerns, but Reagan maintained there is no shortage. Reagan took on the role managing the city's fleet of vehicles 18 years ago, and he said there was no fire vehicle replacement standard when he took the helm. He said he worked with CFD to establish a conservative replacement standard. Using these replacement standards, a 2024 CFD Fleet Analysis found 66% of the current fleet is past its life expectancy. NBC4 Investigates showed Reagan the 2024 Fleet Analysis to ask about these replacement concerns. He said it may have used data from the Fleet division, but said he had never seen the document before. Both Stein and Reagan said vehicular concerns are more pressing because of increased costs and wait times after COVID-19. Manufacturing that used to take 12 months now requires up to four or five years of waiting, so replacements must be ordered years in advance. With these delays, the fleet analysis found 65 of a total 198 CFD vehicles need replaced immediately, and 13 more should be replaced soon. City fleet maintenance records obtained by NBC4 Investigates show vehicles were out of service a total of 409 days in March 2016. This average has increased, and 2025 records show a monthly average of 584 days vehicles are out of service. Reagan said he thought those numbers didn't mean as much, saying repair turnaround times are a better gage of fleet maintenance. How Trump's 'liberation day' tariffs could affect Ohioans Reagan said last month, his department opened 151 work orders for CFD equipment, 125 of which they closed within 24 hours. However, city maintenance records obtained by NBC4 only list 12 of 45 total work orders as taking less than one week to complete. The data may not include work orders closed within a few hours, but it does include orders that only took one day to complete. 'Not having enough equipment is absolutely a false narrative,' Reagan said. 'I would put our apparatus and our age of our apparatus up against any other city in the state of Ohio, much less than the Midwest. Our fleet is in excellent condition.' Columbus is growing more quickly than any other Ohio city, and is the second-fastest growing Midwest city. Stein said this rapid growth is contributing to increased wear and tear on vehicles. Stein said this situation is not about placing blame, but the union is asking the city to come to the table to figure out a solution. Both the union and Reagan agreed that the fleet needs more funding. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther gave NBC4 the following statement about fleet concerns: 'I share the Division of Fire's commitment to protecting Columbus residents through timely, high-quality emergency services. As such, I find it important to reiterate that there are presently zero gaps in in Columbus Fire's response capability. Today, every Columbus Fire Station has a vehicle to meet its service needs. Columbus taxpayers have spent nearly $46 million on fire and EMS vehicles since 2020. As we have invested considerably, we – and cities across the country – have been challenged by equipment inflation of up to 50% and significant supply chain delays. This means that even our generous resources don't go as far, or deliver results as quickly, as they used to. While our fleet is in good working order, our first responders deserve the best. I will use our 2025 Capital Budget and work alongside the Departments of Finance and Public Safety to continue to ensure that every fire station has the quality and quantity of equipment they need to serve every neighborhood.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Deadline for Columbus hack dark web monitoring is Monday
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — If you live, work, or have visited the city of Columbus, you may have been impacted by last summer's massive ransomware attack, and time is running out to protect yourself. Monday is the deadline to sign up for the city's offer of free credit and dark web monitoring. Short North's Bristol Republic relocating to Dublin's Bridge Park The city estimates half a million people are impacted by the ransomware attack that hit Columbus, but only about five percent of that number have signed up for free monitoring from the city. People's private information was stolen as well as sensitive case details from the Columbus Division of Police and city attorney's databases. As a result, Columbus began offering free credit monitoring shortly after NBC4 Investigates exposed the extent of the breach. This service includes credit monitoring by all three credit bureaus, identity theft restoration service, identity theft insurance and dark web monitoring for two years. Through a records request from the city, it was learned Columbus has signed an agreement with Experian for a $45.26 fee for each activation code redeemed. That, combined with other fees, means the city has spent more than $1 million on this service. Mega Millions raises jackpot minimum to $50 million, adjusts ticket price Almost 23,000 people, including children, have enrolled. Experts also recommend freezing your credit with each of the three credit bureaus. We have information on how to do that as well as all of our investigation into this attack at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
Uncovering gaps in Ohio's animal cruelty laws
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — NBC4 Investigates is uncovering the gaps in Ohio animal cruelty laws, and in this story, we are digging into how often people are held accountable when they abandon their pets. NBC4 has uncovered that last year, 91% of cases filed with the city attorney's office were dismissed, but many times it's extremely difficult to file charges. That's the case with Nugget, a shy but sweet dog who was brought to Columbus Humane as part of a cruelty investigation. 'We got a report of a home that had some less than sanitary conditions,' said Brittany Williams with Columbus Humane. 'There were various dogs reported in that home, various body conditions. So some thinner than what they would like to see.' Worthington restaurant destroyed by three-alarm fire Nugget is one of a few dogs dumped at a Columbus woman's home. 'Nugget was dumped at this property and this woman knew that our local shelters were full and was not able to get into a shelter and was trying really hard to care for the stray that came in,' Williams said. The woman did not want to dump the dogs again, and tried to care for them, but it became overwhelming. That's when Columbus Humane stepped in. 'She had multiple dogs as well — other dogs that had been dumped as strays and their own dogs that they were caring for,' Williams said. Dumping an animal is a violation of the Ohio Revised Code; specifically the part that reads: 'no owner or keeper of a dog, cat, or other domestic animal, shall abandon such animal.' Proving abandonment can be difficult without hard evidence, like surveillance footage, which was not available in Nugget's case. How dismantling the Department of Education will affect Ohio schools 'Let's say we eventually might know who abandoned Nugget. We took evidence when Nugget came in through that medical evaluation. So that means that we have case evidence,' Williams said. Even in cases where there is evidence of dumping, it's hard to hold bad pet owners accountable. In 2024, Columbus Humane had 366 abandonment investigations. They filed 32 cases. 34 in total were filed with the Columbus City Attorney's office. Of the 34 filed with the city attorney, all but three were dismissed. Columbus Humane said it is rare to have someone to charge in dumping cases and the typical outcome is no charges filed. If a case does move to trial, evidence is presented by Columbus Humane agents. That work for evidence, like signs of abuse, starts in the shelter, with a forensic exam. 'Nugget was very thin,' Williams said. Ohio solar energy project with sheep farming scrapped due to opposition After some time for animals, like Nugget, to decompress, there is a test to see how they react to certain stimuli. 'We want to make sure that these animals are safe for our community,' Williams said. Once they are determined safe to go to a new home, they can move to the adoption floor, which is where Nugget is now waiting for her forever home. 'If you see the cruelty van, it's not always scary,' Williams said. 'They are out there trying to help people and you can do that by helping us too, reporting animal cruelty or anything that you see that you are concerned about is the best way to get that started.' You can report signs of animal cruelty, neglect or dumping to Columbus Humane here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
