(YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio) — A Mahoning County grand jury has indicted seven people accused of taking part in a criminal enterprise that burned buildings and faked burglaries to fraudulently collect more than a million dollars from insurance companies, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains announced today.
The indictment includes charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity in Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties from 2011 to 2017.
“This band of criminals will now have to answer for their illicit and fraudulent activities that have been brought to light by this indictment,” Yost said. “I commend the work of the investigators and prosecutors who have unwound their complex schemes in the pursuit of justice.”
Tricia Floyd, aka Patricia Floyd, 69, of Youngstown, is accused of being the ring leader. The others indicted are:
- Kyrene Rodriquez, aka Kyrene Moirai Rinard Floyd, 36, of Youngstown
- Heather Marie Kellar, formerly known as James Kellar, 48, of Niles
- Theodore Edward Dozier Wynn, aka Ted Wynn, 29, of Youngstown
- Juan Rodriguez, aka Johnny Rodriguez, 32, of Youngstown
- Christopher J. Gibboney, 29, of Girard
- Jessica Gonzalez, 51, of Youngstown
“I appreciate the cooperation of the various local, state and federal agencies during the investigation of this matter,” Gains said. “Every time a building was torched, lives were jeopardized, and this indictment demonstrates that all of us will take action to see those who commit such acts will face the consequence.”
The case was investigated by the Youngstown Police Department, Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Fire Marshal, U.S Postal Inspection Service, Secret Service and Social Security Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Mahoning County Prosecutor and the Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section.
The crimes alleged include:
- Burning several buildings owned by group members.
- Defrauding insurers, including Allstate Insurance, Farmers Insurance and Nationwide Insurance.
- Changing one-dollar bills into twenties, fifties and one hundreds.
- Hiding from the Social Security Administration a mineral-rights windfall so that more than $30,000 in benefits could be collected.
- Burglarizing a home intending to destroy evidence about the group’s crimes.
A copy of the indictment is available on the attorney general’s website.
Indictments are criminal allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
