A Northwood man has been indicted for photographing children for material that was obscene.
A Wood County grand jury on April 17 indicted Gregorio Santos Tavarez, 23, for five counts endangering children, all second-degree felonies; three counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, all fourth-degree felonies; disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a fifth-degree felony; and possessing criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.
On Aug. 9, he allegedly three times bought or procured obscene material that had a minor as one of its participants.
On Aug. 12 and 13, he allegedly enticed, permitted or hired children under the age of 18 to act or be photographed for the production or dissemination of material that was obscene, sexually oriented or nudity oriented. On Aug. 12, he allegedly sold, furnished or provided to a juvenile or a law enforcement officer posing as a juvenile, material that was obscene.
He has in his possession a cell phone he allegedly used for criminal activity.
Also indicted were:
• Timothy W. Stephens, 59, Grayson, Kentucky, for two counts of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them (OVI), both fourth-degree felonies. On Dec. 31, 2021, he allegedly operated a vehicle while under the influence, with a blood alcohol content of 0.238. He had previously been convicted of three OVI violations in 2018 in Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi.
• Co-defendants Rahsaan Khalil Pope, 26, and Roy Rogers Pope, 30, both of Ypsilanti, Michigan, for counterfeiting, a second-degree felony; and three counts of identify fraud, all fourth-degree felonies. On July 27, 2021, they allegedly committed fraud with more than $5,000 in counterfeit currency and used the personal information of four others. If found guilty, they may have to forfeit $7,621, a .40 caliber Glock and multiple phones.
• David Elias Lancaster, 28, Pataskala, for strangulation, a third-degree felony; and domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor. On March 31 in Bowling Green, he allegedly created a risk of serious physical harm to a household member by means of strangulation or suffocation.
• Jesse J. Vardaman, 37, currently in jail, for three counts of violating a protection order, all fifth-degree felonies. Three times between March 18-21, he allegedly violated a protection order. He has previously been convicted of this offense in 2023 in Lucas County.
• Robert G. Wellnitz, 53, Russells Point, for driving under OVI suspension, a first-degree misdemeanor; and two counts operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them (OVI), both third-degree felonies. On Feb. 29, he was reportedly driving recklessly on Interstate 75 in Perrysburg. His speech was slurred, he was unable to complete field sobriety tests and his balance was poor. He has previously been convicted of OVI in Logan County.
• Robert Michael Roman, 30, Perrysburg, for having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony. On March 7 in Rossford, an officer approached Roman, who was trying to attach the front bumper of his vehicle. The officer observed through the open driver’s side door a handgun sitting on the front passenger seat. Roman had been convicted of a felony in 2018 in Lucas County.
• Ilyaas Mahad Haji, 22, Bowling Green, for two counts of theft, both fifth-degree felonies; misuse of credit cards, a first-degree misdemeanor; and five counts receiving stolen property, all fifth-degree felonies. On March 21, he allegedly stole a laptop out of an unlocked university office. During the investigation, it was found that Haji had used his login with the laptop at multiple locations on campus. When he was located in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union, a wallet that had been stoledn reported stolen from Hayes Hall andwaswas found in his backpack. He allegedly used a credit card from the wallet at multiple locations.
• Jimmie Clay Overton, 25, Perrysburg, for disrupting public service, a fourth-degree felony; strangulation, a third-degree felony; and domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor. On March 16, he allegedly put his hands around a woman’s neck several times, causing her to nearly lose consciousness.
