Hillsboro man indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges
A Hillsboro man was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Tuesday, July 2 Highland County grand jury session.
John Powell, 55, was indicted on five counts, including two counts of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony; endangering children, a third-degree felony; and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
All charges in the indictment are for events that allegedly occurred on or about Dec. 23, 2023.
Powell is accused of “causing the death of” a victim “as a proximate result of … knowingly committing or attempting to commit” two felonies: corrupting another with drugs and endangering children.
It is alleged that with morphine, Powell “did knowingly by any means, administer or furnish to another or induce or cause another to use a controlled substance, and thereby cause serious physical harm to the other person, or cause the person to become drug dependent.”
The indictment further alleges that Powell “created a substantial risk to the health or safety” of a child “by violating a duty of care, protection or support, resulting in serious physical harm” to said child.
Finally, it is alleged that Powell “did alter, destroy, conceal or remove any record, document or thing, with purpose to impair its value or availability as evidence” in an official proceeding or investigation.
In other indictments:
• Jesse Binegar, 42, of Greenfield was charged with one count of failure to comply with the order or signal of police officer, a third-degree felony.
The indictment alleges that on or about June 7, Binegar “did operate a motor vehicle … so as willfully to elude or flee a police officer after receiving a visible or audible signal from a police officer to bring the person’s motor vehicle to a stop, and the operation of the motor vehicle caused a substantial risk of serious physical harm to persons or property.”
• Jason Lee Bond, 45, of Greenfield was charged with failure to appear, a fourth-degree felony, in connection with a grand theft of a motor vehicle case in Highland County Common Pleas Court.
• Montana J. Camp, 26, of Waverly, and Robert L. Kirsch Jr., 53, of Greenfield, were jointly charged with one count of vandalism, a fifth-degree felony.
It is alleged that on or about June 6, Camp and Kirsch “did knowingly cause physical harm to property that is owned or possessed by [a victim] and the property is used by the owner or possessor in their profession, business, trade or occupation, and the value of the property or the amount of physical harm involved is $1,000 or more.”
• Ashley J. Pollock, 38, of Greenfield was charged with one count of aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.
An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt.
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