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A Liberty Township man faces attempted murder, felonious assault and weapons charges after Butler County Sheriff’s officials said he opened fire on a neighbor during an argument Sunday at Countryside Village Mobile Home Park.

Paul E. Maye, 52, of 214 Jacobs Street allegedly fired a revolver at his neighbor Joshua Warren, 26, of 215 Jacobs Street during an altercation. The bullet grazed Warren’s head and a physical struggle for the gun ensued, according to a release from the Sherriff’s Office.

During the struggle, another round was fired. The bullet hit a nearby porch railing.

Warren was eventually able to subdue Maye.

Both men were taken to West Chester Medical Center for injuries. As of Monday morning, Maye is still confined at the hospital.

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the incident.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Sheriff's Office, Liberty Township crime, Liberty Township trailer park, Shooting at Liberty Township trailer park

The West Chester Police Department will offer a free self-defense class from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. this Saturday. According to a release, the class is designed to encourage individuals to be prepared and confident when faced with a potentially dangerous confrontation.

The class is offered at the police department on Beckett Road. Participants should dress comfortably in order to participate fully in the class.

The police department offers free self-defense classes throughout the year.

The classes are free. To register or for more information, call 513-759-7254.

For other classes offered by West Chester University programs, visit WestChesterOH.org.

Posted in: Crime, Events, News |

Tags: Tags: self-defense training, self-defense training West Chester, West Chester Police, West Chester Police Department, West Chester University

With gun sales soaring, a West Chester Township trustee is banking that there will be a market for those who may need legal protection for armed self defense.

George Lang. Photo provided.

Lang and other investors have spent $200,000 in legal fees to make their dream a reality. They have 500 members from Washington state to Florida, and hope hope to have to 100,000 members in two years.

Maloney says their program, which is backed by the NRA Endorsed Insurance Program, is the only one in the United States that provides comprehensive legal and financial resources for armed self defense.

Unlike self-defense coverage offered by the NRA, which doesn’t provide financial assistance until after the court process is over, Second Call Defense provides immediate help by providing money for bail and an attorney retainer. With that help, Maloney claims court appearances can be avoided.

“We knew that if a law-abiding citizen properly uses a firearm in self-defense and they have immediate representation, then the case is going to end right there,” Maloney said. “If you don’t have that representation, anything can happen.”

Second Call Defense provides five levels of coverage that range from $8.95 up to $35.95 a month. Besides offering bail and money for an attorney’s retainer, all levels offer a 24/7 emergency legal hotline, a local attorney referral, accidental shooting protection and criminal defense reimbursement.

Certain levels of coverage also provide compensation while in court, psychological support, on-site gun/legal training and civil suit defense protection.

To help avoid providing a criminal with legal support, Lang and his partners set up a foundation made up of investigators to determine if their clients’ shootings are criminal, accidental or in self-defense.

Regardless, the membership plan will automatically provide money for bail and for the retainer.

“When we first approached the NRA, their big concern was about protecting someone who uses their gun in a criminal fashion,” Lang said. “We had to think long and hard. This probably added six months to our launch date. We are not going to protect a criminal.”

Butler County Prosecutor Michael T. Gmoser said that he takes self defense cases very seriously and looks at them carefully.

“In a self-defense case, you have to consider who the aggressor is, which may change,” Gmoser said. “You can be the aggressor initially, but end up being aggressed upon by the person you initiated the confrontation with.”

Gmoser also believes there are many misconceptions about the public’s rights for self defense. For instance, a homeowner who uses deadly force when they don’t appear be in real danger from an intruder could face murder charges.

“The Castle Doctrine does not give you carte blanche to execute someone who trespasses into your house,” Gmoser said.

“If you are able to disable the assailant and they are no longer a threat and you just decide to shoot them because you reason that you can kill someone who enters your house, you will be prosecuted for murder if that person dies.”

For information, call 513-463-0075 or visit secondcalldefense.org.

MEMBERSHIP PLANS

Basic: $8.95 per month. Includes member newsletter, self defense news, 24/7 emergency legal hotline, local attorney referral, up to $2,000 immediate attorney retainer, up to $1,000 immediate cash for bond up to $10,000, accidental shooting protection of $10,000 and criminal defense reimbursement of $10,000.

Advocate: $14.95. Includes $3,000 immediate attorney retainer, up to $2,500 immediate cash for bond up to $25,000, accidental shooting protection of $25,000, criminal defense reimbursement of $25,000, civil suit defense protection of $100,000 and civil damages protection of $25,000.

Defender: $19.95. Includes $5,000 immediate attorney retainer, up to $5,000 immediate cash for bond up to $50,000, accidental shooting protection of $50,000, criminal defense reimbursement of $50,000, civil suit defense protection of $250,000 and civil damages protection of $50,000, as well as online classes, $250 compensation per day while in court and 10 sessions of psychological support.

Protector: $29.95. Includes $7,500 immediate attorney retainer, up to $10,000 immediate cash for bond up to $100,000, accidental shooting protection of $100,000, criminal defense reimbursement of $50,000, civil suit defense protection of $500,000 and civil damages protection of $100,000, as well as online classes, $375 compensation per day while in court and 20 sessions of psychological support.

Ultimate: $35.95. Includes $10,000 immediate attorney retainer, up to $25,000 immediate cash for bond up to $250,000, accidental shooting protection of $250,000, criminal defense reimbursement of $50,000, unlimited civil suit defense protection and civil damages protection of $250,000, as well as online classes, on-site training, $500 compensation per day while in court and 40 sessions of psychological support.

Posted in: Business, Crime, Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Prosecutor Michael T. Gmoser, George Lang, gun, gun control, Michael Gmoser, Michael T. Gmoser, NRA Endorsed Insurance Program, Sean Maloney, Sean Maloney attorney, Second Call Defense, Second Call Defense membership, Second Call Defense membership plans, Second Call Defense Ohio, Second Call Defense US, Second Call Defense West Chester, West Chester Township Trustee George Lang, West Chester Trustee George Lang

Judge Andrew Nastoff announced that he will resign from the bench Aug. 2. Photo taken by Joseph Fuqua II.

Butler County Common Pleas Judge Andrew Nastoff is resigning from the bench Aug. 2 to move out of state with his wife and children.

Nastoff, in a prepared statement sent to the press, said his wife’s job promotion is the reason for the move.

Nastoff has been a common pleas judge for more than eight years and is currently the administrative judge for Butler County.

Before taking the bench he worked as an assistant prosecutor and defense attorney.

Posted in: Crime, Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Andrew Nastoff, Butler County common pleas, Butler County Common Pleas Court, Butler County Common Pleas Judge Andrew Nastoff, Judge Andrew Nastoff

As part of nationwide scam, there have been reports of a person claiming to be a representative of Life Alert, who has been calling senior citizens in Butler County telling them that they have been preapproved by Medicare for free Life Alert equipment.

Jeannie Weeks, community outreach director at the Office of the Butler County Prosecutor, called the number provided by a victim. Weeks said the call was answered by a man with a foreign accent, who told her that every elderly person in Ohio had been preapproved for the equipment.

As part of the agreement to accept the “free equipment”, the victim would be locked into a monthly contract for an undetermined period of time at a cost of $34.95.

“We are aware of this nationwide scam, as we are receiving a lot of calls regarding this matter both from our own customers and non-customers,” Olga Vlassova, vice president of marketing for Life Alert Emergency Response, Inc.

“Life Alert does not employ telemarketers or make cold calls, and the Life Alert name and reputation are just as much of a victim of this nationwide scam as the public and we are working diligently in finding and stopping these crooks.”

Most calls are automated pre-recorded messages and can sometimes sound like a real person, Vlassova says. Typically, the caller is using a fake caller ID and doesn’t provide the company name that they work for.

“Just to clarify, ‘Life Alert, help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!’ are federally registered trademarks by our company, Life Alert Emergency Response, Inc. and not generic terms,” Vlassova said. “So the scammers use our brand name to mislead, confuse and defraud the public.”

Posted in: Business, Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Prosecutor, Butler County Prosecutor Office, Life Alert, Life Alert Emergency Response, Life Alert Emergency Response Inc, Life Alert Emergency Response Inc scam, Life Alert Emergency Response scam, Life Alert scam, Olga Valassova

Sheila McLaughlin reports:

A Little League administrator from Hamilton will spend six months in the Butler County Jail and the next five years on probation for having child pornography on his computer.

Roger Lee Fox Jr. Photo provided.

Fox also must attend sex offender treatment and submit to random polygraph tests and drug and alcohol screening. He also is banned from any unsupervised contact with minors, Oney said. He faced up to 31 years in prison.

Fox, who was fired as administrator of Ohio Little League District 9, pleaded guilty in March to seven of 14 felony charges of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor. Butler County sheriff’s deputies arrested him last December for incidents stemming from March 2010, June 2012 and August 2012.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: Little League, Little League Butler County, Roger Fox, Roger Fox Jr., Roger Lee Fox Jr.

The Butler County OVI Task Force will hold a checkpoint tonight in Hamilton.

The checkpoint will be held from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on U.S. 127. The exact location was not released.

Authorities will be combining the checkpoint with patrols in efforts to catch drunk drivers.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County OVI Task Force, checkpoint, checkpoint Butler County, OVI checkpoint, OVI checkpoint Buter County

Eighteen people from Butler and Preble counties were rounded up Wednesday following secret indictments in a months-long investigation that targeted marijuana, prescription drug and heroin users.

In all, 24 people from Middletown, Hamilton, Fairfield, Camden and Liberty and West Chester townships were indicted for felony charges following the probe by the multi-agency BURN Task force, coordinated by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

Charges include trafficking, possession and fraudulent drug advertising.

The investigation also led to a search of a North Seventh Street residence in Hamilton where authorities said they seized about six grams of heroin, marijuana, pills, needles, scales and several hundred dollars in cash.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Sheriff's Office

Sheila McLaughlin reports:

A year to the day that the family of Katelyn Markham held an event to keep her disappearance in the spotlight, they will return to Harbin Park in Fairfield (1300 Hunter Road) Saturday to celebrate her life and thank the hundreds of people who searched for her and supported them.

Dave Markham, Katelyn’s father, is hosting the 5 p.m. event in the park’s overlook shelter which will include a cookout with hotdogs and refreshments. Luke Midkiff, a friend of Katelyn’s who formerly performed with the band Dizzy Citizen, will play the guitar and videos of Katelyn will be shown along with a display of her artwork.

Missy Hammond, a family friend, said the event also is meant to give friends and searchers “the opportunity to come out and do what they need to do to deal with (Katelyn’s death).

Katelyn, a graphic arts student at the Art Institute of Ohio-Cincinnati, vanished from her home on Dorshire Drive in Fairfield on Aug. 14, 2011. Skeletal remains found more than a week ago at a dump site along Big Cedar Creek in Franklin County, Ind., were identified as hers.

The Indiana State Police are heading an investigation into her death and no information is being released regarding evidence or a possible suspect.

Hammond said it will be at least another week before Katelyn’s remains will be returned to her family for a funeral service.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: Jeff Ruby, John Carter, Katelyn Markham, Katelyn Markham missing, Lt. Kevin Haddix, missing person, Rebecca Irvin

In the wake of the Boston Marathon tragedy, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office sent out a release this week to remind the public to “say something” if they see “something” out of the ordinary.

“The word ‘tragic’ does not even come close to describing the senseless act that took place in Boston yesterday afternoon,” said Sheriff Jones. “After 9/11/01, we were all saying that our world would never be the same. These certainly have become different and difficult times.”

Below is a portion of the release:

Butler County, Ohio, is not a high profile or heavily populated area when compared with other areas of our country. Even so, that does not mean that something tragic will never happen here.

Whether from a foreign or domestic terrorist, or even from just a mentally disturbed individual, the potential for a violent, senseless act is always present. That is why it is so important for everyone to always be on the lookout for things that just don’t seem to look right.

If something looks suspicious, call 9-1-1 and make contact with proper authorities and have it checked out. Even if the suspicion proves to be an unfounded threat, it is still at least a valuable training experience for the responders. It is better to err on the side of caution than to ignore a potential problem that might have been remedied before a major crisis developed.

“So far, we have been pretty fortunate,” said Sheriff Jones. “Our specialty units have been called on a lot to check out suspicious items in the past and we are always ready to respond.

“Please, be on the lookout. Remember, if you see something, say something.”

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: Boston Marathon, Boston Marathon bombing, Boston Marathon bombs, Boston Marathon Cincinnati runners, Boston Marathon local runners, Boston Marathon West Chester runners