UPDATE: Horton Case Delayed… Again 

After a phone-only status conference on November 19, the court issued this ruling: 

Another status conference is scheduled for February 12, 2026 at 10:00 AM. 

Defense counsel is permitted to attend by telephone. 

Defendants agree to waive time from November 19, 2025 until revoked. 

Translation into everyday English: 

• No trial date set 

• Nothing moving forward anytime soon 

• The defense hit pause on the “speedy trial” clock 

• Everything is still very much in limbo 

At this pace, the Horton case may not reach a courtroom until well into 2026 — if not later. 

How We Got Here — A Timeline of the Horton Scandal 

Here’s the quick walk-through of the major milestones that led to this moment: 

March–Nov 2021 

Kickbacks allegedly begin flowing from a vendor working on SOAR Business Park projects — hidden as fake “sales commissions” to Horton’s wife’s company. 

2021–2022 

Projects expand to include Minford Emergency Ambulance Service, and prosecutors say the kickback scheme expands along with it. 

June 2024 

📌 Investigators raid Scioto County offices
Horton is placed on administrative leave…
then controversially reinstated by Commissioners Bryan Davis & Cathy Coleman. 

Feb 2025 

Scioto County Grand Jury indicts: 

• Robert Horton – bribery, theft in office, aggravated theft, money laundering, tampering with records, obstructing justice, and more 

• Lioubov (Luba) Horton – telecommunications fraud, tampering with evidence, forgery, and more 

• Both tied to SOAR and Minford projects 

July 2025 

Trial originally set to begin — but Horton’s attorney files for a continuance. 

Sept 2025 

Another status conference → no movement. 

Nov 19, 2025 

Latest status conference →
🚫 No trial date → Delay continues to February 2026 

What Are Horton & His Wife Accused Of? 

Robert Horton 

• Theft in Office — using his public job for personal gain 

• Money Laundering — hiding where money came from 

• Bribery — disguised kickbacks 

• Tampering with Records/Evidence — altering or creating fake documents 

• Obstructing Justice — trying to influence the investigation 

• Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity (aka Ohio’s version of racketeering) 

Lioubov Horton 

• Accused of owning the shell company used to collect the kickbacks 

• Charged with telecommunications fraud, receiving stolen property, tampering, and forgery 

📌 Prosecutors say public money was funneled through vendors into accounts controlled by the Hortons. 

This is not a “missing tax dollars in a backpack” situation —
it’s a financial shell game, where money moved from economic development budgets into private pockets. 

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Meanwhile… Economic Development Is Still a Mess 

The fallout has been massive: 

• No permanent economic development director 

• SOPA was leaderless for months 

• Commissioners are still debating whether to rebuild the system, replace it entirely, or start a new nonprofit to run economic development 

• Even now, significant projects remain stalled by uncertainty 

Commissioner Scottie Powell has said he cannot disclose details of potential deals —
but without resolution in the Horton case, the county’s long-term plan remains unclear. 

The Bottom Line 

Every delay means more uncertainty for taxpayers, businesses, and the future of economic growth in Scioto County. 

And right now, the future remains: “Check back later.”