The human trafficking allegations surrounding former attorney Mike Mearan are disturbing enough. But records suggest the scandal may run deeper, with evidence allegedly hidden from investigators for years — protecting powerful men while victims suffered.
While suspects like Schaub, Biggs, and Rash were accused of exploiting victims directly, one of the most explosive revelations is that key investigative records were hidden from law enforcement for years.
According to allegations, a female courthouse employee deliberately stored files in her home for seven years—long enough for statutes of limitation to expire on some crimes. If true, this wasn’t just negligence. It was obstruction of justice and evidence tampering, all while victims were left in the dark.
What makes this even more alarming is that the woman reportedly still works in the courthouse today, signing documents and interacting with victims.
“In my opinion, she’s worse than the predators,” Craycraft said. “Because she protected the predators. For seven years, she made sure justice didn’t come. How many victims came into that courthouse looking for help, never knowing the person on the other side of the desk was hiding the truth?”
Ohio law is clear: evidence tampering restarts the clock when discovered. That means prosecutors could still have six years to pursue charges.
But the bigger question remains: why was evidence hidden at all? What was so special about this case? Who else knew? And why didn’t state officials prosecute the theft of files when former Sheriff Donini left office?
This story underscores that trafficking networks aren’t sustained by traffickers alone. They also rely on gatekeepers willing to protect them.
