The whispers are over. It’s official: Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis and his wife Lori have been indicted in the same corruption scheme that already took down Robert Horton.
⚖️ What Bryan Davis Is Accused Of
- Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity (Felony 1): Prosecutors say Davis was part of an organized criminal ring that stole from taxpayers.
- Theft in Office (2 Counts): Accused of abusing his power as commissioner to divert public money.
- Aggravated Theft (Felony 3): Allegedly helped steal more than $150,000 in taxpayer funds.
- Money Laundering (Felony 3): Accused of disguising dirty money through shell companies.
⚖️ What Lori Davis Is Accused Of
- Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity (Felony 1): Allegedly joined her husband and the Hortons in the scheme.
- Money Laundering (Felony 3): Charged with helping clean up kickback money.
- Receiving Stolen Property (Felony 3): Allegedly pocketed over $67,000 in tainted funds—used to pay off a loan and fund a Disney vacation.
- Tampering with Evidence (Felony 3): Accused of helping falsify records once investigators closed in.
🕵️ Mystery Solved: “John and Jane Doe” Unmasked
For months, rumors swirled that the unnamed “John and Jane Doe” in the Horton indictments were Bryan and Lori Davis. The grand jury confirmed what insiders long suspected—it was them. A “John Doe #2” is also listed and SCDN has been in contact with that person’s attorney.
💰 The Alleged Scheme
Prosecutors say the Davises worked with Robert and Lioubov Horton to funnel public money through fake “sales commissions” and sham companies. In the end, the cash allegedly funded personal perks—everything from paying debts to taking a family trip to Disney World.
🏗 Fallout for Scioto County
This latest bombshell comes as commissioners have been insisting “big things” are happening in economic development, even without a director in place. Now, with Davis himself under felony indictment, the county’s economic future looks even shakier.
Commissioner Scottie Powell tried to calm nerves at Thursday’s meeting:
“Major things are happening. But the nature of economic development is—you can’t talk about it until you can talk about it.”
📰 SCDN on the Trail
The Scioto County Daily News (SCDN) was the first local outlet to follow the trail of corruption that began with Horton’s indictment and pointed toward other high-level figures. Today’s unsealed indictments confirm what we’ve been reporting all along. And we’ll continue to follow every twist and turn of this case—because it’s not over yet.
