News Releases

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) –Attorney General Mike DeWine today reminded consumers to read the fine print before joining a gym or a health club in the New Year.

"Many Ohioans will be resolving to lose weight or get healthy in 2013," DeWine said. "Those are great goals, but it's important not to get caught up in the hype and forget to read the fine print of a contract. You don't want to be surprised months later when you're paying more than expected for your membership or you can't cancel when you want."

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that a Hamilton County man has been arrested for Compelling Prostitution involving a juvenile victim, as part of an ongoing investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s (BCI) Crimes Against Children Unit and the Harrison Police Department.

Attorney General DeWine asked law enforcement agencies to submit their cold case information to the online database in September. At the time, there were only 166 unsolved homicide cases on the site.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - Attorney General Mike DeWine today reminded Ohioans to be careful when donating funds to charities in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School murders.

"The tragedy in Connecticut that took so many lives and broke the hearts of the victims' families has also spread sorrow throughout our nation," said Attorney General DeWine. "We want to reach out and help however we can. But please remember that while legitimate funds and charities make good use of your donations, there are scammers who may use this horrific event to steal money for themselves."

(CLEVELAND, Ohio) – Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced a lawsuit against William J. Zele doing business as Above All Basement Waterproofing, Right Choice Roofing, and Zele Basement Waterproofing. The lawsuit charges Zele with multiple violations of Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act.

“We will continue to go after businesses and individuals that take advantage of consumers,” DeWine said. “We also remind consumers to research businesses carefully before making any payments.”

Attorney General DeWine's office worked to add a synthetic drug provision to House Bill 334 that toughens previous laws banning synthetic drugs known as bath salts or herbal incense.  The new law closes a loophole used by clandestine chemists that gave them the ability to slightly alter the illegal synthetic drug's components into a new, legal substance.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that his office would expand safety training for educators and expand his School Safety Task Force to make recommendations on school safety policy. DeWine made his announcement at a press briefing with Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Sawyers, which highlighted the efforts of the Attorney General and the Ohio Department of Education to enhance school safety after the shootings at a school in Chardon earlier this year.

(CINCINNATI) - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters announced today guilty pleas involving the rigging of bids submitted to the Ohio Department of Transportation for traffic control devices. Quattro Inc. pleaded guilty to two felonies; company sales manager Timothy O'Brien pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors. The pleas are the result of a joint investigation conducted by DeWine's Office, Ohio Inspector General Randall Meyer's Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

This is the first case in almost three decades involving criminal antitrust charges under the state's antitrust statute, the Valentine Act.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today released a copy of the guidelines that his School Safety Task Force created to help Ohio schools comply with the requirements to submit building plans and a school safety plan to his office. 

Following the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today reminded educators, administrators and law enforcement of the free school safety and law enforcement training opportunities available through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA), which is part of the Attorney General’s Office.