Butler County Grand Jury Report – December 8, 2025

What Is a Grand Jury?

A grand jury is a group of nine local citizens chosen to review evidence in serious criminal cases. Their job is not to decide guilt or innocence. Instead, they determine whether there is enough evidence for a felony case to continue in the Court of Common Pleas.

Think of the grand jury as a safety checkpoint before a serious criminal charge can move forward.

What Happens Inside a Grand Jury?

Grand jury meetings are private, and only a few people are allowed in the room:

• The Prosecutor

• Witnesses

• The members of the grand jury

There is no judge, no defense attorney, and no public audience.

The prosecutor presents evidence, explains the charges, and may call witnesses such as police officers or alleged victims.

After hearing the evidence, grand jurors vote on whether a crime likely occurred.

What Decisions Can a Grand Jury Make?

A grand jury in Ohio can issue three types of outcomes:

1. True Bill

This means the grand jury believes there is enough evidence to charge the person with a felony.The case then moves forward to the Common Pleas Court.You’ll see many “True Billed” cases in the Butler County report, such as felony drug possession, theft, or weapons charges.

2. No Bill

This means there wasn’t enough evidence to support felony charges.The case does not continue at the felony level.Some drug cases, assault allegations, and other incidents fall into this category.

3. Certified Back

Sometimes, the grand jury feels that the case shouldn’t be a felony but should still move forward as a misdemeanor.When that happens, they “certify the case back” to a lower court such as a municipal court.Examples include trespassing, disorderly conduct, or lower-level thefts.

Why Is the Grand Jury System Important?

Grand juries serve two important purposes:

1. Protecting Citizens

They prevent people from being charged with serious felonies without enough evidence.

2. Supporting Law Enforcement

They help prosecutors move forward on cases where community members agree probable cause exists.

This balance helps keep the justice system fair, consistent, and community-focused.

Why Are These Reports Public?

While the meetings are private, the results are made public to ensure transparency.That’s why Butler County regularly releases summaries like the December 8, 2025 report.

These summaries show:

• Who was charged

• What the charges are

• Whether the case continues as a felony or returns to a lower court

• Whether the grand jury found enough evidence

This allows the community to stay informed about ongoing criminal matters.

Butler County Grand Jury Report – December 8, 2025

Based on the official Grand Jury Report GJR_December_1st Session_Grand …

The Butler County Grand Jury met on Monday, December 8, 2025, to review multiple cases presented by the Prosecutor’s Office. Their decisions determine whether felony charges move forward, whether cases are reduced to misdemeanors, or whether charges are dismissed entirely.

Below is a rewritten, easy-to-read breakdown of each case reviewed.

Grand Jury Decisions

True Bills (Enough evidence for felony charges)

Drug Possession Cases

Brandon Matthew Ellis• Charge: Aggravated possession of methamphetamine (F5)Decision: True BillJudge: Keith Spaeth

Heather Nicole Clark• Charge: Aggravated possession of methamphetamine (F5)Decision: True Bill Judge: Kelly Heile

Theft & Fraud Cases

Robert Gramann• Charge: Felony theft (F5)Decision: True Bill (Direct Indictment)

Robert Earl Collins Jr.• Charges:– Forgery (Uttering) (F4)– Grand theft by deception (F4)Decision: True Bill

Geovanny Morales-Santos• Charges:– Aggravated theft (F3)– Criminal damaging (M2)Decision: True Bill (Direct Indictment)

Vehicle Theft / Receiving Stolen Property

Chase Dwayne Wilcox• Charges:– Motor vehicle theft (F4)– Receiving stolen property (F4)Decision: True Bill

Failure to Comply / Driving Offenses

Joshua Robert Perry• Charges:– Failure to comply with police (F4)– Possessing drug abuse instruments (M1)Decision: True Bill• Driving without a valid license was No Billed

Jordon Daniel Bryant• Charge: Failure to comply with police (F4)Decision: True Bill• Driving under OVI suspension was No Billed

Weapons Charges

Gregory Desmond Hampton• Charges:– Carrying concealed handgun (F4)– Improper handling of firearms in a vehicle (F4)Decision: True Bill

Steven Brown• Charge: Having weapons under disability (F3)Decision: True Bill

Harassment / Bodily Substance

Jay B. Begley• Charges:– Harassment with bodily substance (F5)– Criminal damaging (M2)Decision: True Bill

Aggravated Vehicular Assault

Bryan Cesar Castro• Charges:– Aggravated vehicular assault (F3)– OVI (M1)Decision: True Bill• Divided roadway charge was No Billed

Nonsupport of Dependents (Felonies)

Summer D. Clarkston – Multiple counts (F5)Roy D. Crank – Multiple counts (F5)Britthany N. Fletcher – Multiple counts (F5)Hannah Rebekah Ingram – Multiple counts (F5)Stephanie N. Bower – Multiple counts (F5)William Dobbins – Nonsupport (F4)James Aaron Smiley – Multiple counts (F4)

Decision for all: True Bill

Certified Back (Handled as Misdemeanors in Lower Court)

These cases did not move forward as felonies; the grand jury ruled they should return to municipal court for misdemeanor prosecution.

Cory Chance Young

• Criminal trespass (M4)• Criminal damaging (M2) Decision: Certified Back

Chad Justin McKeever

• Resisting arrest (M2) Decision: Certified Back

Diana Nicole Chandler

• Multiple counts of petty theft (M1)• Receiving stolen property (M1) Decision: Certified Back

Elijah Glenn Pheanis

• Assault (M1)• Aggravated menacing (M1) Decision: Certified Back

James Edward Holbert Jr.

• Aggravated menacing (M1)• Criminal damaging (M2) Decision: Certified Back

Peter Lee Steinmetz

• Disorderly conduct (M4)Decision: Certified Back

No Bills (Not enough evidence for felony charges)

Domestic Violence / Assault

Christopher Ray Tharp – Domestic violence (F5) Decision: No Bill

Kenneth Spurlock – Multiple assault-related charges Decision: No Bill

Drug Cases – Not Enough Evidence for Felony Prosecution

Roy D. Dillow – Cocaine possession & drug instrument charges Decision: No Bill

Nathaniel Young Jr. – Multiple drug charges including meth & fentanyl Decision: No Bill

David W. Albin – Meth possession (F5) Decision: No Bill

Robbi Hodson – Cocaine possession (F5) Decision: No Bill

Kenneth Anderson – Meth possession (F5) Decision: No Bill

Other No Bills

Timothy Tillery – Firearm discharge, tampering, obstructionDecision: No Bill

Amy Nantz – Credit card misuse & receiving stolen propertyDecision: No Bill

James Cleaver – Receiving stolen property (F4)Decision: No Bill

Summary

The December 8, 2025 session resulted in:

• 34 cases reviewed

• Multiple felony indictments (“True Bills”)

• Several cases reduced to misdemeanors (“Certified Back”)

• Numerous cases dismissed at the felony level (“No Bills”)

Grand jury decisions determine which cases continue to Common Pleas Court and which return to lower courts or are dismissed altogether.