Wednesday, April 21, 1999
TRISTATE DIGEST
Tampering with evidence alleged in sex case
A former soccer coach was indicted Tuesday on charges of tampering with evidence in a sex case involving ticket scalper William Meister and a 15-year-old girl.
Laszlo Bozso is accused of flushing nude photographs of the girl down a toilet to prevent them from falling into the hands of prosecutors. Mr. Bozso, who previously was charged with corruption of a minor, now faces four charges of tampering with evidence. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail.
Prosecutors say Mr. Bozso had sexual contact with the girl. They say he also drove Mr. Meister and the girl around town in a limousine several times.
Mr. Meister, Cincinnati's best-known ticket scalper, was indicted last month on 14 charges accusing him of luring the girl into a sexual relationship. Prosecutors say he took nude photos of the girl and planned to sell them via the Internet.
Mr. Bozso is a former assistant coach for the women's soccer team at Xavier University.
Crash on Old 74 kills Goshen man
UNION TOWNSHIP — A 38-year-old Goshen man was killed Tuesday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash on Old State Route 74 in Clermont County.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol identified the victim as Michael D. Christoff. Mr. Christoff was driving east on Old 74 near Stoddard Lane at 1:21 p.m. when his vehicle drifted left of center and struck a westbound vehicle, the highway patrol said.
A 6-year-old boy, a passenger in Mr. Christoff's vehicle, and the driver of the other vehicle suffered minor injuries, the highway patrol said.
Doan denies anew knowledge of body
Vincent Doan again denied any involvement in the disappearance of Carrie Culberson, this time in response Tuesday to a civil suit filed by her family. He was convicted two years ago of murdering her.
The Culbersons filed suit in 1997 in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati against Mr. Doan and his family, demanding they reveal where Miss Culberson's body is. The 22-year-old Blanchester woman disappeared in August 1996, and Mr. Doan, her boyfriend, was the last person seen with her. Her body has never been found.
After a federal judge ruled two weeks ago against a defense motion to dismiss the case, Mr. Doan's attorney filed his defense Tuesday, saying Mr. Doan did not know where the body is.
The civil suit, delayed as criminal cases against Mr. Doan's family were being tried, is set for a September trial.
New judgeship OK'd for Clermont County
COLUMBUS — Clermont County voters will elect an additional municipal judge this fall.
State senators approved a bill last week creating the new judgeship. However, majority Republicans failed to get enough votes from Democrats to enable the bill to take effect immediately.
Republican senators used a parliamentary move Tuesday to change the filing deadline to Aug. 2 to put the position on the November general election ballot.
The bill now moves to the House, which is expected to send it to Gov. Bob Taft for his signature.
Municipal judges deal with traffic violations, misdemeanor crimes and bond reviews. More than 18,300 cases were filed for each of the two Clermont judges in 1997, compared with the state average of 12,502 per judge, according to county records.
Scalded-to-death boy's mom remains in prison
An attorney for Sharon Richmond asked a judge Tuesday to release her from prison, saying the Westwood woman had been punished enough for waiting more than 12 hours to take her dying son to a doctor.
The judge, however, said he might have given Ms. Richmond an even longer sentence if the law allowed it.
“Her sentence in this matter was one of simple justice,” said Judge Richard Niehaus of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. “It should not be shortened.”
Ms. Richmond admitted in 1997 that she did not seek medical care for her 12-year-old son, Matthew, after the boy had been severely scalded in bath water.
Her boyfriend, Richard Joseph Klein, was sentenced to 31 years in prison for placing the mentally disabled boy into the water as punishment for soiling his pants. The boy died a few days later.
Ms. Richmond, 34, pleaded guilty to child endangering and was sentenced to the maximum five years.
Park board asks for advice on hours change
The Cincinnati Park Board is considering extending park closing times, and the park board wants to hear from you.
Cincinnati parks now are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Preliminary research of other parks around the country show closing times range from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.
“The park board would like to know what Cincinnati residents think about extending park hours,” said Larry Annett, assistant to the director of Cincinnati Parks.
The park board wants comments from Cincinnati residents by the end of May. Residents should call Mr. Annett at 357-2602 or e-mail larry.annett@cinparks.rec.org.
Quilt talk leaves women in stitches
Tristate educators: No school is completely safe
Ohio legislators pass tougher school crime bill
County delays transracial adoptions, suit says
Eye implant provides new vision
Private fund drive to restore fountain
Burglary suspect dies in wreck
Bauer to enter presidential race
Ch. 5's Norma Rashid fined for DUI
Northside pellet shootings adding up
PLAN for disabled adults
Networks weighing shows on the edge
GET TO IT
Problems at proms preventable
Building of playland postponed
Butler on defensive over bid law
Death rate for lung cancer above average in Tristate
Dickens back in Waynesville
Doan again denies slaying
Farmers' market in Lebanon proposed
Fen-phen's makers sued over death of woman, 40
Fiscal court sets vote for creation museum
Former UK football player gets 10 years for DUI deaths
Ind. man indicted in 10 church fires
Lockland residents back chief
Middletown agonizes over lack of sirens
Older state suburbs want Ohio to stop promoting urban sprawl
Renovations at Waynesville school to begin
Students plant nature park on Fernald site
Teacher's appeal rejected
Teens hear peers on alcohol
TRISTATE DIGEST R
Tristate schools win national honor
Urban Center takes shape
Ventura not singled out, judge rules
Voters will see a lot of mayoral issue
