PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis and his wife, Lorinda Sue Davis, were indicted on Friday by a Scioto County Grand Jury on multiple felony charges related to an alleged kickback scheme involving the Southern Ohio Port Authority and a Portsmouth-area business park. The indictments mark the second major setback for the Scioto County Board of Commissioners in just over a month, following the unexpected death of Commissioner Cathy Coleman in July.
The charges against Bryan Davis include 13 felony counts, such as engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, theft in office, money laundering, aggravated theft, tampering with evidence, and filing false tax returns. Lorinda Sue Davis faces 10 felony counts, including similar charges of corrupt activity, money laundering, and tampering with evidence. The indictments stem from an investigation by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), prompted by allegations of unlawful interest in a public contract tied to the Southern Ohio Aeronautical Regional (SOAR) Business Park near the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport.
“This is an outright abuse of the public trust,” said Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber in a statement. “We will work to ensure justice is served for the people of Scioto County.”
The investigation also led to earlier indictments in February 2025 against Robert Horton, former head of the Southern Ohio Port Authority and Scioto County Economic Development Department, and his wife, Lioubov Horton. Horton faces 15 criminal counts, including bribery and theft in office, while Lioubov Horton faces 12 counts, including money laundering and falsification. The 13-page indictment alleges that Horton received kickbacks for securing a public contract for construction at the SOAR Business Park, with Davis using his position as commissioner to facilitate the contract and secure public funding. Both Lorinda Davis and Lioubov Horton allegedly received kickback payments through consulting firms they owned.
The four individuals are also accused of meeting to discuss providing false information to investigators and attempting to falsify records to conceal their actions. Attorneys from the SIU have been appointed as special prosecutors by the Scioto County Prosecutor to handle the case.
This scandal compounds an already challenging period for the Scioto County Board of Commissioners. The unexpected passing of Commissioner Cathy Coleman in July left the board grappling with both emotional and operational difficulties, as her absence created a void in leadership and community representation.