CINCINNATI — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Ohio, Southern), published as received.
CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today results of the Southern District of Ohio’s continuing work to reduce violent crime, firearms offenses and fraud in fiscal year 2026.
Fiscal year 2026 includes Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.
Violent and Gun Crime
“I am extremely proud of what my Office has accomplished since I became U.S. Attorney just over a year ago,” said U.S. Attorney Gerace. “My tenure began amid a significant uptick in violent and gun crimes, particularly in downtown Cincinnati, and I promised the public that we would aggressively pursue federal charges against those offenders. The statistics show that we have done just that. I asked my prosecutors to target repeat violent offenders and to focus on the safety of the streets in our communities and they continue to answer the bell.”
As indicated below, in Cincinnati alone, the Office increased prosecutions of firearms offenders by 250% when compared to FY2025. More generally, violent crime prosecutions increased by 148.5% in Cincinnati and by 92.7% districtwide.
The total number of defendants charged with firearms offenses and violent crimes across the District sets a Southern District of Ohio record based on available statistics going back to FY2004. The total number of defendants charged with firearms offenses represents an increase of 93.5% from FY2025.
Defendants Charged with Violent Crimes
| Location | Total Defendants | Percentage Increase from FY2025 |
| Districtwide | 237 | +92.7% |
| Cincinnati | 82 | +148.5% |
| Columbus | 99 | +67.8% |
| Dayton | 56 | +80.6% |
Defendants Charged with Firearms Offenses (18 U.S.C. 922(g) and 924(c))
| Location | Total Defendants | Percentage Increase from FY2025 |
| Districtwide | 236 | +93.4% |
| Cincinnati | 63 | +250.0% |
| Columbus | 96 | +62.7% |
| Dayton | 77 | +71.1% |
“None of these cases are possible without strong partnerships with our local, state and federal law enforcement agencies who investigate these crimes. I thank them for joining us in the fight against violence,” said U.S. Attorney Gerace. “I am also grateful to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson for his continued support and for providing us with a Special Assistant United States Attorney dedicated to federal gun cases.”
Fraud and White-Collar Crime
“The fight against fraud, especially fraud against taxpayer-funded government benefits programs, is a top priority for this Office,” said U.S. Attorney Gerace. “This fiscal year, we brought charges against several individuals who allegedly stole tens of millions of dollars from government programs designed to provide healthcare and food benefits to Americans in need—including a Medicaid fraud scheme involving $30 million and a SNAP fraud scheme involving $29.7 million. We will continue to hold fraudsters accountable for stealing taxpayer dollars and for depriving vulnerable citizens of these services.”
As indicated below, the District increased prosecution of white-collar defendants by 46.3% when compared to FY2025, with the largest increases coming from the Dayton and Columbus areas.
Defendants Charged with White-Collar Crimes
| Location | Total Defendants | Percentage Increase from FY2025 |
| Districtwide | 60 | +46.3% |
| Cincinnati | 19 | +5.6% |
| Columbus | 32 | +68.4% |
| Dayton | 9 | +125.0% |
“These statistics represent just a few of the areas that our dedicated public servants focus on every day to keep the people of the Southern District of Ohio safe,” added U.S. Attorney Gerace. “In addition to violent, gun and white-collar crime, my Office remains steadfast in combatting child exploitation, protecting our homeland security, ridding our streets of deadly drugs, enforcing immigration laws, and dismantling transnational criminal organizations. We are proud to do our jobs in service to our communities and this great country.”
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