COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged two former
Columbus vice officers with conspiring to violate others’ civil rights and
conspiring to commit wire fraud.
Steven G. Rosser, 43, of Delaware, and Whitney R. Lancaster,
57, of Columbus, were each arrested without incident this morning and appeared
in federal court this afternoon. The indictment was returned on March 26 and
unsealed at a 12:15pm initial appearance today.
Rosser was employed with the Columbus Division of Police for
19 years and assigned as a detective in CPD’s vice unit from April 2013 until
October 2018.
Lancaster was employed with the Columbus Division of Police
for 31 years. He was assigned as a
detective in the vice unit from February 2016 until November 2018.
“The indictment alleges that these two former law
enforcement officers abused their badges and deprived individuals of their
Constitutional rights,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “We will root
out any alleged bad actors acting under color of law and are grateful to the
vast majority of officers who do the honorable work of protecting us and the
Constitution.”
Nick’s Cabaret
According to the indictment, in March 2015, Rosser was
involved in a physical fight with an individual at Nick’s Cabaret, a
gentleman’s club on East Dublin Granville Road. Rosser allegedly represented
that he was acting in the course and scope of his employment as a police
officer during the fight and in the days that followed.
The indictment alleges that Rosser conspired with others to
deprive the other participant in that fight of his civil rights by having him
seized and searched without probable cause, in violation of the Fourth
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Based, in part, on a report that Rosser wrote regarding the
fight, officers arrested that individual in April 2015, and he was detained at
the Franklin County jail for approximately five days before the charges against
him were ultimately dismissed.
The Dollhouse
The indictment also alleges that in April 2018, Rosser,
Lancaster, and others conspired to deprive one of the owners of the Dollhouse,
a gentleman’s club on Karl Court, of his civil rights by seizing and searching
him and his vehicle without probable cause, again in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort
Finally, the indictment alleges that both defendants
conspired to commit wire fraud by routinely reporting false and fraudulent
special duty hours.
Specifically, in January 2018, the Fort Rapids hotel,
restaurant and indoor water-park complex on Corporate Drive in Columbus,
suffered a fire-sprinkler break that led to extensive flooding. As a result,
the Columbus Division of Fire ordered a 24-hour per day “fire watch” by
qualified personnel to monitor the site for further damage and safety issues.
It is alleged that Rosser and Lancaster routinely reported
to the Fort Rapids ownership group that they were working special duty during
dates and times that they also reported they were on duty working their regular
shifts as CPD officers. The two officers allegedly double-billed Fort Rapids
and the Columbus Division of Police on 29 days between January and May 2018.
“The FBI and the Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force
are committed to rooting out public corruption and working to ensure that those
who abuse their law enforcement privileges are held accountable,” stated FBI
Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman. “We will continue to work
with our partners to protect the citizens of this community and uphold their
Constitutional rights.”
“The Columbus Division of Police continues to advocate for
police accountability and strongly supports today's arrests on corruption
charges against these former officers by the FBI and the Public Corruption Task
Force,” said Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan. “I commend the dedication
and effectiveness of the partnerships leading to today's arrests.”
“A cop’s authority is derived from citizens who trust them
to keep the peace,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “When one betrays
that trust, we need to hold them accountable to defend the integrity of the
good men and women who keep us safe.”
“Ohio's law enforcement units are the finest in the nation
and any actions that diminish their standing in our communities must be pursued
and prosecuted,” Auditor of State Keith Faber said. “I want to commend the work
of all involved in this investigation and pledge our continued support as this
case moves forward.”
Conspiracy to violate a person’s civil rights is punishable
by up to 10 years in prison. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a
potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern
District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan;
Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Ohio
Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) Superintendent Joseph Morbitzer; and
Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber announced the charges.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley, Noah R.
Litton and Jessica H. Kim are representing the United States in this case. This
case is being investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task
Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney
General’s BCI, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of
Police.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the
defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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