17 Ohio union members indicted in $228,000 education benefits fraud case

A Delaware County grand jury indicted 17 Ohio public-sector union members accused of stealing or attempting to steal more than $228,000 from an education benefits program over 12 years.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced the indictments Thursday, Nov. 12, saying the defendants allegedly defrauded the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association’s Union Education Trust, which provides financial assistance to union members pursuing education.

The union represents more than 27,000 state and local government employees across Ohio.

According to the attorney general’s office, 14 of the defendants worked at Warrensville Developmental Center in Cuyahoga County and allegedly participated in similar schemes to obtain education benefits fraudulently.

The alleged schemes involved falsifying documents to inflate class costs, submitting duplicate invoices for courses never taken and seeking reimbursement for expenses already covered by other funding sources, including federal student aid.

The alleged activity occurred between September 2013 and December 2025, with the defendants accused of stealing or attempting to steal a combined $228,560.

Fourteen defendants were indicted Tuesday on charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, telecommunications fraud, forgery and theft.

Those defendants are Kelasha Ashara Dudley, Antone Hatcher, Christopher James Haywood, Marcus James Henderson, Jacob Nii Quartey, Allan Antonio Smith, Ragan E. Spencer, Kelita M. Swanson, Victoria Alexandria Thompson, Ebony Dionne Watkins, Tomariah Le Shawn Whitner, Tomaniqua Whitner, Walter J. Williams Jr. and Brandon Jamal Witten.

Two additional defendants, Kendra Davis and Melissa Mesaros, were charged with theft, forgery, and telecommunications fraud. Tascha Walker was charged with theft.

The Westerville Police Department led the investigation, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section is handling the prosecution in Delaware County Common Pleas Court. The indictments are allegations, and all 17 defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.