News Releases

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Attorney General Mike DeWine said today that a consent decree has been agreed to by his office, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), Otterbein University and the U.S. Department of Defense that will outline responsibilities in investigating contamination on the former Kilgore Manufacturing property, located at 600 N. Spring Road in Westerville (Delaware County). The property is now owned by Otterbein.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Circleville Police Chief Wayne Gray, Pickaway County Sheriff Dwight Radcliff, and Pickaway County Prosecutor Judy C. Wolford announce a drug raid operation that today served 25 arrest warrants and conducted seven search warrants.

Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that Ohio has joined with 49 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government to reach a $1.5 billion settlement, the second largest recovery from a pharmaceutical company in a single civil and criminal global resolution agreement, with Abbott Laboratories. In a separate but related settlement, DeWine today joined 44 other states and the District of Columbia in announcing a $100 million settlement with Abbott Laboratories over allegations of illegal off-label marketing of its drug Depakote, marking the largest consumer protection based pharmaceutical settlement ever reached.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced a judgment has been entered against an insider of a charter school that overbilled the state for more than $1.4 million. The judgment against Hassina Shabazz was entered in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for the full amount of the overpayment, $1,407,983, plus interest from 2007. Any recovery will go to the Cleveland Metropolitan and other Northeast Ohio school districts.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said today that the state has reached an agreement with Grand River Enterprises Six Nations LTD in which Grand River deposited into a state escrow account $984,185; paid penalties and post-judgment interest of $1,052,000 to the state General Revenue Fund; and paid attorney fees and costs of $82,000 to his office.

Attorney General Mike DeWine, the Attorney General's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC), and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason today announced that five defendants pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud crimes covering more than 500 real estate transactions totaling $50 million, involving $44 million in fraudulent loans, and earning $31 million in profits.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Ohio Missing Persons Unit ask for help in locating the Ohio family of a deceased Florida man. The man died years ago, but authorities in Florida have reached out to Ohio in a continued effort to locate family members.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission today urged anyone who is interested in pursuing participation in the federal government's deferred action process not to be deceived into paying for expensive assistance in applying. It's not yet clear what fees, if any, will be necessary and the federal government has asked that these requests not be submitted until it creates a process to accept them.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced that a settlement has been reached with Machinery Transport, Inc., of Henderson, Texas, for damage sustained to the Interstate 74/Interstate 275 interchange near Cincinnati. Pursuant to the settlement, Machinery Transport paid ODOT $726,757.27 for costs associated with the repair of the interchange.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Commerce Director David Goodman today announced an assurance of voluntary compliance (AVC) with Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC to resolve a 2009 lawsuit and to provide relief to Ohio homeowners facing foreclosure.