My case file on Henry County Prosecutor Gwen Howe Gebers and the pattern I see across Ohio
I am Charles Tingler. I have dealt with Henry County Prosecutor Gwen Howe Gebers as a court appointed special prosecutor. I am writing this so the public can read the same records I read and judge her conduct for themselves.
I am not asking anyone to take my word for anything. I am pointing readers to primary documents and mainstream reporting wherever I can. Where something is my allegation or my inference, I say so.
The core problem as I see it
A special prosecutor is supposed to be the clean set of hands. When a local prosecutor has a conflict, the court brings in an outside prosecutor to restore confidence. The public expectation is simple: follow the evidence and treat people the same.
What I see is the opposite. In my matters, the focus turns away from the officials I accused and onto me. In other counties, politically connected defendants and officeholders repeatedly land on outcomes that look soft compared to the gravity of the allegations.
That is my thesis. Below is why I say it.
1. Ottawa County, the AR 15, and why I say Howe Gebers targeted me instead of the officials
This starts with one rifle and a paper trail that never made sense to me.
Public reporting shows an AR 15 style semiautomatic rifle that had been seized and stored in the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office evidence room, with later reporting describing how Ottawa County Common Pleas Judge Bruce Winters took the rifle to his home after saying he received threats, and how the county prosecutor at the time said that was permissible.
That reporting is the backdrop for what I did. I brought forward information about that rifle and the people around it, including Sheriff Stephen Levorchick and Judge Bruce Winters. I expected an independent review with real scrutiny.
Gwen Howe Gebers was brought in as the special prosecutor for that review. From my perspective, she did not pursue the rifle issue in any meaningful way. What she did pursue was me. Starting in 2017 and repeating in later years, I was hit with probation violation accusations and criminal actions that I dispute and that I view as retaliation for pushing this issue. I am still fighting this.
2. Sandusky County, Detective Sean OConnell, and the Heather Bogel homicide investigation
A 2018 report states that former Sandusky County detective Sean OConnell was sentenced to 24 months in prison for tampering with evidence in the Heather Bogel murder case and that he misled the prosecutor by failing to provide all information about evidence. The question I put to the public is simpler. If a detective tampers with evidence in a murder case, why does the system accept a result that looks like a contained penalty and then moves on like nothing broke. That is where a special prosecutor is supposed to matter.
3. Sandusky County Prosecutor Tim Braun and the misdemeanor outcome
The Ohio Attorney General’s office publicly described filing a complaint seeking suspension and removal of Sandusky County Prosecutor Tim Braun after his negligent assault conviction tied to improper physical contact in the workplace and broader allegations of misconduct toward female subordinates.
A 2019 report explains that Braun was convicted of negligent assault, a third degree misdemeanor, avoided jail time, and kept his job for a period under the agreement.
A Sandusky Register report summary says that Henry County Prosecutor Gwen Howe Gebers was appointed special prosecutor in Braun’s case.
My refutation of the usual excuse is direct. People will say, the victims agreed, it was plea bargained, that is how the system works. That line does not reassure the public. A prosecutor convicted of assault tied to workplace contact, with multiple women involved, getting a misdemeanor resolution and no jail, is exactly the kind of outcome that destroys trust. The public has the right to see special prosecutor appointments as a promise of independence, not a pathway to a soft landing.
4. Allen County Children Services, Cynthia Scanland, and the conditional dismissal
A Lima area report states the case against Cynthia Scanland was dismissed under an agreement, with the dismissal conditioned on long term restrictions including not working for Ohio children services offices or certain job and family services roles, and it identifies the charges she faced.
The same report links to the court order, and that order sets out the terms and conditions of dismissal.
The report also connects the underlying agency scandal to foster parents Jeremy Kindle and Scott Steffes, who were sentenced to long prison terms for raping young children.
When a public official is accused of tampering with records in a child protection context, conditional dismissal reads like a system choosing institutional comfort over accountability.
5. Delaware County, Catherine A. Nelson, and the probation outcome
Multiple report summaries describe Delaware County Republican influencer Catherine A. Nelson receiving a sentence that included a year of probation after an incident involving drunk driving and a firearm while under the influence, and they describe special prosecutor involvement. Special prosecutor cases involving politically plugged in defendants should be the easiest place to show equal justice. When the outcome is probation, the public reasonably asks whether status changes sentencing gravity.
6. Ottawa County, former Port Clinton Fire Chief Kent Johnson, and the Marsy’s Law notice dispute
A law firm report describes Kent Johnson being indicted in Ottawa County on multiple counts tied to alleged sex related misconduct and other allegations, and it states the case was presented to an Ottawa County grand jury.
A separate letter from the same firm addressed to Gwen Howe-Gebers concerns Johnson’s request for early release from a 180 day jail sentence and raises victim rights concerns, including claims about notification. Johnson was released on 12/1/2025 over the victims objection.
The pattern I see, stated plainly
In my Ottawa County matter, the record confirms Howe Gebers was appointed special prosecutor and the case against the sheriff did not go to a grand jury.
In other counties, reporting connects her to high profile matters where outcomes look like containment rather than accountability, including a detective convicted of evidence tampering in a murder case receiving 24 months, and a sitting prosecutor convicted of negligent assault receiving no jail time and a misdemeanor resolution.
I am calling this what I believe it is: prosecutorial failure that consistently benefits insiders and punishes the person pushing the complaint.
I do not need to claim a bribe. I do not need to claim a secret meeting. Outcomes and choices are enough to judge competence and integrity.
I call this what it is. Public authority is accountable to God, and public authority is accountable to the people. When a special prosecutor is appointed, the public is owed clarity, consistency, and courage. I do not see those traits here.
If Gwen Howe Gebers wants to rebut this, she can do it the honest way. Put the appointment orders, the charging decisions, and the plea negotiations in sunlight. Let the public read them.
Until then, I am going to keep publishing.
1. Former Fremont Police Detective sentenced to 2 years in prison
2. Why did prosecutor Tim Braun get no jail time for his assault conviction?
3. Case against Cynthia Scanland dismissed by the State of Ohio | News | hometownstations.com
4. Delaware County politico to get license back in impaired driving case
5. Case against Cynthia Scanland dismissed by the State of Ohio | News | hometownstations.com
