17 indicted in schemes to defraud labor union of education benefits
A Delaware County grand jury has indicted 17 people for allegedly scheming to steal more than $228,000 from the Ohio Civil Service Employee Association (OCSEA), Attorney General Andy Wilson announced this week.
The 17 defendants were members of OCSEA, a public-sector labor union representing more than 27,000 state and local government employees across Ohio. They are accused of defrauding or attempting to defraud the organization’s Union Education Trust, which offers members financial assistance for education.
Fourteen defendants worked for the Warrensville Developmental Center in Cuyahoga County. They are accused of engaging in similar schemes to fraudulently obtain education benefit funds, such as falsifying documents to exaggerate class costs; duplicating invoices across multiple educational institutions for classes never taken; and requesting reimbursement for educational expenses after they received funding from other sources, such as Federal Student Aid.
Altogether, the defendants allegedly stole or tried to steal $228,560 from September 2013 through December 2025.
Indicted Tuesday on charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, telecommunications fraud, forgery and theft were:
Kelasha Ashara Dudley
Antone Hatcher
Christopher James Haywood
Marcus James Henderson
Jacob Nii Quartey
Allan Antonio Smith
Ragan E. Spencer
Kelita M. Swanson
Victoria Alexandria Thompson
Ebony Dionne Watkins
Tomariah Le Shawn Whitner
Tomaniqua Whitner
Walter J. Williams Jr.
Brandon Jamal Witten.
In addition, Kendra Davis and Melissa Mesaros were charged with theft, forgery and telecommunications fraud. Tascha Walker was charged with theft.
The Westerville Police Department led the investigation. The Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section is prosecuting the case in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.
Indictments are criminal allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.