CLEVELAND (BNO NEWS) — Seven members of an Amish community in Ohio were arrested on early Wednesday morning on hate crime charges following a series of Amish hair-cutting attacks, the U.S Department of Justice said in a statement.

A criminal complaint filed in Cleveland charged seven men with attacking others because of their actual or perceived religion. The maximum potential penalty for these violations is life in prison, the statement said.

According to an affidavit from the Department of Justice, the men forcibly restrained multiple Amish men and cut off their beards and head hair with scissors and battery-powered clippers, injuring them and others who attempted to stop the attacks. In the Amish religion, a man’s beard and head hair are sacred.

The spate of assaults, which have received international media coverage, have been blamed on a breakaway Amish group. Among the defendants are breakaway Amish group leader Samuel Muller Sr. and three of his sons, prosecutors said.

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ZANESVILLE, OHIO (BNO NEWS) — Dozens of exotic animals which escaped from an animal preserve in Ohio on Tuesday evening have been shot dead by police, officials said on Wednesday. Their owner apparently killed himself.

Terry Thompson, owner of the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, was found dead at the farm on late Tuesday afternoon. He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Authorities believe Thompson opened all the animal cages before he killed himself, allowing his animals to escape into the countryside. It was not immediately known what motivated Thompson to release the dangerous animals or why he took his own life.

When police responded to the area at around 5.30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, following reports of exotic animals running loose, armed officers shot and killed as many as 25 animals as they made their way to Thompson’s farm where they discovered more animals were missing.

Local authorities then began patrolling the area on the lookout for the missing animals, warning people to stay indoors until the animals were caught or killed. “These are wild animals. Wild animals that you would see on TV in Africa,” said Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz who gave ‘shoot to kill’ orders to his officers.

Deputies with assault rifles and thermal imaging equipment were deployed in search of the exotic animals, which Lutz described as “mature, very large, and aggressive.” However, some have criticized authorities for killing the animals, which include endangered Bengal tigers.

Members of the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds had brought tranquilizers to the scene, but Lutz said they were only there in the event that an animal got near residential houses where it would be unsafe for police officers to open fire.

In all, 49 of the 56 exotic animals which escaped from the farm were shot dead by police. Those killed include 18 Bengal tigers, nine male lions, eight female lions, six black bears, three mountain lions, two grizzly bears, one baboon and two wolves. One missing monkey is believed to have been eaten by a large cat.

Police, being assisted by animal experts and a SWAT team, managed to capture six animals alive before they were taken to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Lutz said the captured animals are a grizzly bear, three leopards and two monkeys.

The Columbus Zoo and the Muskingum County Humane Society had previously visited the animal preserve in June 2008 after several complaints were received, arguing that the animals were in poor condition. Thompson was not charged after the visit but between 2004 and 2009 he had 11 misdemeanor charges for either animal at large or animal cruelty.

Animal expert and zookeeper Jack Hanna described the situation as ‘tragic’ and strongly criticized animal auctions and Thompson’s ownership of the animals. Although Thompson had legal documents that allowed him to keep such animals at his property, Hanna said he should not have had them, comparing animal auctions to drug trafficking.

“It’s just like drugs,” Hanna said during an interview on local television. “This guy had the animals, but where do the animals come from? Where are they getting the animals from?”

“We have to get the source of [these animals] and some of them are animal auctions,” Hanna underlined, adding that it takes millions of dollars to adequately care for wild animals.

Thompson had just finished a one year and one day prison term, which he received in October 2010 for two federal counts of possessing illegal firearms. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched his home in 2008 and seized 133 weapons and a small amount of ammunition. Eight of those firearms did not have serial numbers. Thompson was also a former gun dealer.

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CLEVELAND, OHIO (BNO NEWS) — A U.S. judge on Friday sentenced to death serial killer Anthony Sowell who was previously convicted of 11 counts of aggravated murder and more than 70 other charges including rape and kidnapping.

On Wednesday, the 12-person jury voted unanimously to recommend a death sentence to be imposed for each of the slayings, but Cuyahoga County Judge Dick Ambrose still had the option to sentence Sowell to life in prison instead. However, Wednesday’s jury recommendation was required before Ambrose could sentence Sowell to death.

Sowell was arrested in October 2009 as a suspect in the murders of eleven women whose bodies were discovered at his Cleveland house. The victims ranged in age from 25 to 52 and had been raped.

Sowell was convicted late last month on the eleven counts of aggravated murder as well as 70 other charges which include rape and kidnapping. During the mitigation phase of the trial, Sowell pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and said he was “truly sorry” for the crimes he committed.

But Ambrose said during Friday’s sentencing that the court gives no weight to Sowell’s expression of remorse. The death sentence was welcomed by the victims’ relatives who told Sowell he would go to hell. The killer remained silent throughout Friday’s sentencing.

His lawyer previously claimed that Sowell and his crimes were the result of childhood abuse and said the lack of nurturing in his home made him unable to stand physical contact or any signs of affection.

Sowell had previously already served time in prison. In 1989, after a seven year career with the Marines and a failed marriage, Sowell began a 15-year sentence for attempted rape. After his release from jail, Sowell said, his health began to fail. In 2007, he suffered a major heart attack and began hearing voices.

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CLEVELAND, OHIO (BNO NEWS) — A U.S. jury on Wednesday recommended a death sentence for serial killer Anthony Sowell who was convicted last month of 11 counts of aggravated murder and more than 70 other charges including rape and kidnapping.

Prosecutors were seeking the death penalty for Sowell and, despite the defense allegations, the 12-person jury voted unanimously to recommend a death sentence to be imposed for each of the slayings. Cuyahoga County Judge Dick Ambrose is scheduled to sentence Sowell at 9 a.m. local time on Friday.

In the case of Sowell the judge would not have been able to impose the death penalty with a recommendation from the jury. But with the recommendation now given, Ambrose can decide to sentence Sowell to death or life in prison.

Sowell was arrested in October 2009 as a suspect in the murders of eleven women whose bodies were discovered at his Cleveland house. The victims ranged in age from 25 to 52 and had been raped.

Sowell was convicted late last month on the eleven counts of aggravated murder as well as 70 other charges which include rape and kidnapping. During the mitigation phase of the trial, Sowell pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and said he was “truly sorry” for the crimes he committed.

His lawyer has claimed that Sowell and his crimes were the result of childhood abuse and said the lack of nurturing in his home made him unable to stand physical contact or any signs of affection.

Sowell had previously served time in prison. In 1989, after a seven year career with the Marines and a failed marriage, Sowell began a 15-year sentence for attempted rape. After his release from jail, Sowell said, his health began to fail. In 2007, he suffered a major heart attack and began hearing voices.

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COPLEY TOWNSHIP, OHIO (BNO NEWS) — An Ohio gunman on Sunday killed seven people during a violent shooting spree before he was shot dead by local police, officials said Monday.

Police Chief Michael Mier told Fox 8 that the gunman opened fire in Copley, Ohio on Sunday at around 11 a.m. local time during an argument at a local home on Goodenough Avenue. According to reports, the gunman shot his girlfriend, then went next door to shoot her brother and four other people.

The media outlet said he continued the shooting spree by searching for those who had fled when he opened fire, chasing at least two others through backyards before shooting one of them outside a home near Schocalog Road. The gunman later shot down another victim who had sought refuge at another house in the neighborhood.

During the shooting spree, the unidentified gunman shot at a local citizen and former police officer, as well as a Copley police officer. The two men returned fire and shot the man dead. Among the seven fatal victims was an 11-year-old boy, while an eighth victim was shot and reportedly being treated at a the Akron General Hospital’s intensive care unit.

The victims’ bodies were found in four different locations within a two-block area between the two streets. Their identities have not been formally released until their family members are informed, but WEWS 5 reported that among the victims was 17-year-old Autumn Johnson, a Copley High School student, her grandfather Russ Johnson, her grandmother Gertie Johnson, Brian Johnson, one of Russ and Gertie’s son, and 11-year-old Scotty Deiter. The eighth victim being treated at the hospital was reportedly a woman.

Local police cordoned off the streets where the shootings took place and advised residents to avoid entering the area. A prayer and vigil for the victims was carried out on Sunday evening at Copley Community Park where over 100 people gathered.

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COLUMBUS, OHIO (BNO NEWS) — Two people were killed on early Sunday morning when a small plane crashed at Rickenbacker International Airport in central Ohio, state police said.

The accident happened at around 8.52 a.m. local time when a Cirrus CR22 airplane was attempting to take off on a flight to New Jersey and crashed east of the runway. The plane caught fire upon impact, killing both the pilot and his passenger.

After the accident, the bomb squad of the Columbus Division of Fire was called to the scene to deactivate a parachute deployment charge that the plane was equipped with. The parachute charge was deactivated without incident.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol identified the pilot as 54-year-old Viswanathan Rajaraman of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. His passenger was identified as 50-year-old Mary J. Sundaram, who is also of Franklin Lakes.

According to federal records, the 2008-built aircraft was registered to Buds Aviation LLC out of Bergen, New Jersey.

It was not immediately known what caused the accident, which will be investigated by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

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CINCINNATI (BNO NEWS) — An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to two child pornography charges after police found more than 19,000 files of child porn on his computer, prosecutors said on Monday.

Michael Lewis Bohannon, 52, of Cincinnati, was caught in December when an investigator with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Regional Electronics Computer Investigations (RECI) task force was patrolling the internet and connected with Bohannon through a peer-to-peer file-sharing service.

The RECI investigator located, through the service, 41 files on Bohannon’s computer which were likely child pornography. He then compared them with a list of known child pornography files which are maintained in a database by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Bohannon’s home in January and seized one computer. Forensic examination of the computer uncovered more than 13,000 images and 6,000 videos of child pornography. Agents then arrested Bohannon, who has remained in custody.

Bohannon was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in 2005 and served 40 months in prison. Because of his prior conviction, he faces at least 15 years in prison, although the plea agreement contains a recommended sentence of 210 months (17.5 years) in prison.

Senior U.S. District Judge Sandra S. Beckwith will review the plea agreement and decide whether or not to accept the agreed-to sentence.

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COLUMBUS (BNO NEWS) — Authorities is southern Ohio are investigating the deaths of four people which are possibly linked to a police-involved shooting in Columbus, police said on Saturday.

The four bodies were found on Saturday morning at a residence on State Route 41 in West Union, the county seat of Adams County. Few details were immediately released, although officials are calling it a homicide.

“We are on the scene of a quadruple homicide at a residence of 9825 State Route 41 in West Union, Ohio,” an official at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office said. “At this time no names can be released or any other details are available at this time.”

According to WSYX-TV, the suspect in the four murders is believed to be the same person who opened fire in northeast Columbus at around 11 a.m. local time on Saturday. That shooting injured three police officers and injured an unknown number of others, the station reported, adding that the gunman was killed.

A spokesman for the Columbus Police Department was not immediately available to comment on the shooting, and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office could not say whether or not they had a suspect in the murders.

Columbus is about a 2 hour drive from the Adams County house where the murders took place.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has launched an investigation into an incident at a nuclear power plant in Ohio on Friday in which elevated radiation readings were detected.

The incident happened on Friday at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Perry, Ohio, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Cleveland. Details of the incident were not publicly disclosed until Tuesday afternoon.

According to the NRC, the issue involved the removal of a source range monitor from the reactor core while the plant was shut down for a refueling outage. A source range monitor measures nuclear reactions during start up, low power operations and shutdown conditions.

“While performing the activities to remove the monitor, workers at the plant identified an increase in radiation levels in their work area,” the NRC said in a statement. “The workers stopped and immediately left the area when the higher than expected levels were identified.”

While officials do not believe the workers received radiation in excess of NRC limits, the level was higher than normal. Nonetheless, the NRC said the plant is in a safe condition and there has been no impact to workers at the plant or members of the public.

The special inspection team began work on Monday and will review the circumstances surrounding the elevated radiation levels in the work area. The team will gather data to establish a sequence of events, review the utility’s work planning and engineering actions, determine if
there were human performance factors that may have contributed to the event and evaluate the actual radiological consequences including exposure to the workers.

It is expected that details of the outcome of the investigation will be released within 45 days.

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OBERLIN, OHIO (BNO NEWS) — An air traffic controller in Ohio has been suspended after he was found watching a movie while on duty, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on late Monday.

FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said in a statement that the incident happened at the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center in Oberlin during the early morning hours on Sunday while the controller was working a radar position.

“For a little more than three minutes, the controller’s microphone was inadvertently activated, transmitting the soundtrack of the movie over the radio frequency for that airspace,” the statement said. It gave no details on the type of movie being watched.

The problem was brought to air traffic control’s attention by the pilot of a military aircraft who was using an alternate frequency. “The controller and the front line manager have been suspended from operational duties pending an investigation,” the statement added.

The FAA said the controller was watching the movie on a portable electronic device, in violation of FAA policy which prohibits the use of portable DVD players and other devices on the floor of the radar room.

The news comes after a series of published incidents in which air traffic controllers fell asleep while on duty. In the most recent incident, an air traffic controller fell asleep on Saturday while on duty during the midnight shift at the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center.

As a result of the incidents, the FAA on Sunday announced several changes to air traffic controller scheduling practices that will allow controllers more time for rest between shifts. Those changes are currently being put in place.

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