An area man has been indicted on a variety of felony charges including causing the death of a Richwood man.
The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Ethan Michael Lowther, 26, of 201 Center St., Ashley. Lowther is charged with one count each of involuntary manslaughter, corrupting another with drugs and trafficking in a Fentanyl-related compound, two counts of receiving stolen property and three counts of complicity in the commission of an offense.
According to Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips, on Nov. 1, Luke Kunkle, 26, was found dead in his bed at his home on Ottawa Street in Richwood.
LOWTHER
“When law enforcement arrived, they found indications that drugs had been used,” Phillips said, adding, “there were some things clearly indicating a drug overdose.”
Phillips said the coroner’s office conducted a rapid toxicology test and determined the man had been using drugs. The prosecutor explained that while the rapid tests don’t give exact drug information they are “very helpful for law enforcement” and give investigators a place to start.
Kunkle’s body was taken to Montgomery County for an autopsy which helped investigators determine he had died of an overdose of Fentanyl.
The Union County Multi-Agency Drug Enforcement Task Force began investigating.
“Our goal is to identify who is the trafficker who provided the drugs to the deceased,” Phillips said.
He said that through interviews, reviewing phone calls and text messages and other investigation, it was determined that Lowther allegedly sold the fatal drugs to Kunkle and “law enforcement was able to piece together some details around the transaction.”
He said the investigation also determined, “there may be another individual as the ultimate source.”
Court documents indicate that some of the charges stem from an incident that happened a week and a half earlier.
According to court documents, on Oct. 20, deputies responded to an overdose. The individual was unconscious and was not breathing normally. First responders gave the victim Narcan, which reversed the effects of the drug.
On Nov. 18, the victim spoke to detectives about the incident. The victim explained that on Oct. 19, they had purchased $60 worth of heroin from Lowther via Facebook Messenger. According to court documents, the victim said they have been purchasing drugs from Lowther for some time. They said Lowther purchases from a supplier in Marion.
The receiving stolen property charges stem from a series of incidents in October 2008. Phillips said information gathered in the course of the drug investigation led law enforcement to connect Lowther and another man to the theft of more than $18,000 worth of tools, stolen from a City of Marysville tool shed.
If convicted, on all counts, Lowther could face as many as 41 years in prison.
Also indicted was:
– Branden Joseph Deel, 35, of Delaware, Ohio.
In September, Deel was charged with one count of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer stemming from a July 26 when he allegedly turned his lights off at night and drove more than 100 miles per hour on U.S. 33 after a deputy pulled behind him.
At the time, Deel signed a recognizance bond, which allowed him out of jail, but under that the promise that he would appear anytime the court called for him.
In October, Deel failed to show up for a court appearance and an arrest warrant was issued.
Phillips said that because the recognizance is a promissory note to appear, failure to honor it is a felony.
If convicted, Deel could face as many as 18 months in prison on the failure to appear indictment and five years in prison on the failure to comply charge.
– Noah J. Carter, 38, of 19067 Route 245, Marysville.
Carter is charged with two counts of theft and two counts of grand theft. Court documents allege that between October 2014 and April 2017, Carter took money from multiple individuals, promising to fix or remodel their campers and recreational vehicles.
“He would allegedly get the money and never so or complete the work,” Phillips said.
According to court documents, Carter took as much as $30,000 from the victims.
If convicted on all counts, Carter could face as many as five years in prison.