By Daniel Karell
dkarell@civitasmedia.com
The Brown County Grand Jury met recently and handed down indictments to 20 individuals, including Adam D. Spears.
Spears, 29, was indicted on one count of rape, a first-degree felony, and one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony. In both charges, the conduct rises to a level of third-degree felony or higher because Spears allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with a juvenile under the age of 13.
According to Brown County First Assistant Prosecutor Zac Corbin, on or about September 20, 2014 to September 22, 2014, Spears allegedly engaged in sexual contact with a family member.
“There was actually a witness to the incident that observed something and put a stop to it,” Corbin said. “Then the victim was approached by family members and the victim acknowledged what had happened. At that point authorities were contacted and the victim was taken to be examined.”
According to the Butler County Jail roster, Spears was arrested on Sunday and transported to Hamilton, Ohio, where he is being held until he is arraigned.
Spears doesn’t seem to have much of a criminal history prior to these charges. Documents filed in the Brown County Municipal Court shows that he has been cited for traffic violations on five occasions between 2007 and 2015, but all were settled in the municipal court with a fine. Spears had no prior charges against him in the Brown County Court of Common Pleas.
Spears faces a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of his rape charge.
In a separate, unrelated case, Jack Ramsey Russell was indicted on charges of attempted murder, a first-degree felony, and two charges of felonious assault, both second-degree felonies.
According to the bill of indictment, and Corbin, Russell, 27, of Georgetown, attempted to kill Casey M. Bias, and stabbed him numerous times on the night of October 31, 2015.
“It appears to be, Mr. Russell was an acquaintance of the victim,” Corbin said. “The two knew each other, they met (earlier) that night. There was some disagreement between the two earlier in the night and it’s our belief that this was not just a heat of the moment type of thing, there was some pre-meditation to this. Mr. Russell used a knife and basically planned the attack of the victim. The victim managed to get back to his vehicle after being stabbed multiple times and called 9-1-1 and made it home.”
Corbin said the evidence leads the prosecution to believe that Russell was not on drugs the night he allegedly stabbed Bias. Bias was stabbed in several places, mainly in the biceps and shoulder area. According to Corbin, one of the stab wounds was five centimeters – nearly two inches – deep.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in municipal court, Russell was found at his residence on Apple St. in Georgetown. He allegedly told Georgetown Police Department officers who arrested him that a person named Sam had made insults and threats to Russell and his family. Russell alleged that this “Sam” stabbed himself, but the officers note in the affidavit that this story did not add up.
According to Corbin, in the subsequent investigation into the incident, they discovered that Russell had put in some sort of planning to attempt to murder Bias, and that the alleged person named “Sam” was just a ploy by Russell to put the police officers on a wild goose chase.
Russell has been locked up since October 31, and is being held on $75,000 bond through the municipal court.
Russell has an extensive criminal history through the municipal court, with 20 charges filed between 2006 and 2015. Russell has been charged with felonies on five separate occasions through the court of common pleas. For three separate cases all filed in 2006, with charges of second-degree felonies for burglary and fourth-degree felonies for trafficking in drugs, he was sentenced to three and a half years of prison. He was also sentenced to three years of community control for a conviction in complicity in trafficking in drugs in 2008.
For the latest criminal charges, Russell is facing as many as 27 years in prison.
Also indicted were:
Jack Ryan Adcock, 27, of Hamersville, on three counts of harassment with a bodily substance, all fifth-degree felonies.
Christopher Browning, of Sardinia, on one count of telecommunications harassment, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor.
David Lee Deaton Jr., of Manchester, on one count of possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of aggravated possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony. Both charges come with specification for money in a drug case.
Adam Z. Dixon, 31, of Mt. Orab, on one count of possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony, with forfeiture of an automobile in a drug case.
Chris Fields, 42, of Higginsport, on one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony, and six counts of prohibited sale of fire equipment, all third degree-misdemeanors.
Shane Michael Gibson, 28, of Mt. Orab, on one count of burglary, a second-degree felony, and one count of petty theft, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Teva R. Highfield, 39, of Sardinia, on one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of forgery, a fifth-degree felony.
Brandi Nicole McCarty, 32, of Georgetown, on one count of possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony.
Christopher Nelson, 50, of Mt. Orab, on; one count of bribery, a third-degree felony, two counts of menacing by stalking, both fourth-degree felonies, one count of violating a protection order, a third-degree felony, and one count of violating a protection order, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Rose M. Phelps, 71, of Higginsport, on ; one count of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a third-degree felony, one count of selling, purchasing, distributing, or delivering dangerous drugs, a fourth-degree felony, one count of trafficking in drugs, a fourth-degree felony, and one count of trafficking in drugs, a fifth-degree felony.
Jason Rains, 41, of Sardinia, on; on one count of selling, purchasing, distributing, or delivering dangerous drugs, a fifth-degree felony, possession of marijuana, a minor misdemeanor, and two counts of operating a vehicle under the influence, both first-degree misdemeanors.
Shannon D. Ratermann, 38, of West Union, on one count of forgery, a fourth-degree felony, one count of theft from a person in a protected class, a fourth-degree felony, and one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony.
Caleb Rice, 36, of Ripley, on; two counts of felonious assault, both second-degree felonies and two counts of domestic violence, both third-degree felonies. Rice is a repeat violent offender.
Amanda R. Riffle, 33, of Georgetown, on one count of forgery, a fourth-degree felony, one count of theft from a person in a protected class, a fourth-degree felony, and one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony.
Robert D. Shelton IV, 19, of Williamsburg, on one count of illegal cultivation of marijuana, a fourth-degree felony, one count of possession of marijuana, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of permitting drug abuse, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Cheryl C. Shelton, 50, of Williamsburg, on; one count of endangering children, a third-degree felony, one count of illegal cultivation of marijuana, a fourth-degree felony, one count of possession of marijuana, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of permitting drug abuse, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Christopher S. Snider, 45, of Bethel, on one count of illegal cultivation of marijuana, a fifth-degree felony, and possession of marijuana, a fifth-degree felony.
Cody Sturgill, 21, of Mt. Orab, on one count of trafficking in marijuana, a fourth-degree felony, and one count of trafficking in marijuana, a fifth-degree felony.
