What started as promises of jobs, growth, and shiny new development at the Southern Ohio Aeronautical Regional Business Park has instead turned into one of the most serious public corruption scandals Scioto County has ever faced.
Years later, the fallout is still being felt — in courtrooms, county offices, and stalled plans for the county’s economic future.
Here’s how it all happened, what went wrong, and where things stand today.
How It Began: Big Promises at SOAR
The Southern Ohio Port Authority (SOPA) was created to help bring jobs and investment to Scioto County, particularly at the SOAR Business Park near Minford.
To run that effort, the county relied heavily on:
- Robert Horton, then the county’s Economic Development Director and SOPA president
The public expectation was simple:
➡️ Use public money responsibly to attract private investment and jobs.
What prosecutors now allege is something very different.
The Alleged Scheme: Kickbacks Disguised as “Commissions”
According to indictments and court filings:
- Horton allegedly steered public contracts to a private out-of-state company (identified in court records as Business #1)
- That company allegedly inflated its bids
- The extra money was then funneled back as fake “sales commissions” to shell companies tied to Horton’s wife and later Bryan Davis’ wife
- Those companies performed no real work
This wasn’t money vanishing from a vault.
It was money being rerouted, hidden behind paperwork, invoices, and bank transfers.
Where Bryan Davis Comes In
At the center of the county side of the scandal is Bryan Davis, an elected county commissioner at the time.
Prosecutors say Davis:
- Used his vote and authority to approve large public fund transfers
- Knew kickbacks were being built into contracts
- Personally benefited when money flowed to his wife’s company, The Finder’s Network
- Later helped conceal the source of the money through false records and tax filings
The total amount prosecutors say was moved through kickbacks across multiple deals:
➡️ More than $360,000
The First Shockwave: Raids and Indictments
In 2024:
- State investigators raided county offices
- Horton was placed on leave
Then came the moment that truly rocked local government:
👉 Horton was reinstated by the commissioners — against legal advice
That decision later became a major part of the state’s case.
By 2025:
- Horton and his wife were indicted
- Davis and his wife were indicted on 13 felony counts
- Charges include theft in office, money laundering, forgery, tampering with evidence, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity
County Government Fallout: Chaos at the Top
The scandal didn’t just live in the courtroom — it crippled county government.
- One commissioner later died following a car accident
- Davis was suspended and placed on paid leave
- For months, the county operated with just two commissioners
- If one commissioner was absent, no meeting could legally occur
The Republican Central Committee eventually appointed an interim commissioner just to restore basic functionality.
Justice Delayed — Again and Again
Despite the seriousness of the charges:
- Horton’s trial has been repeatedly delayed
- Status conference after status conference has produced no trial date
- As of now, the next Horton court date is February 12, 2026
- Davis was scheduled for another pre-trial hearing on December 2. The results of that conference have not been announced.
In plain language:
➡️ No verdicts. No closure. No accountability yet.
