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. 

Please Support This Local Business

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. 

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.”