CINCINNATI, Ohio — U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced that federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Ohio charged a record number of defendants with violent crime and firearms offenses during fiscal year 2026, which ran from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.
The office charged 237 defendants with violent crimes districtwide, a 92.7% increase over fiscal year 2025, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Violent crime prosecutions climbed 148.5% in Cincinnati, where 82 defendants were charged, 67.8% in Columbus, where 99 were charged, and 80.6% in Dayton, where 56 were charged.
Firearms prosecutions under federal law also rose sharply. The office charged 236 defendants districtwide with firearms offenses under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) and 924(c), a 93.4% increase from the prior fiscal year. Cincinnati firearms prosecutions jumped 250% to 63 defendants, while Columbus rose 62.7% to 96 defendants and Dayton rose 71.1% to 77 defendants.
Combined, the total number of defendants charged with firearms offenses and violent crimes across the district set a Southern District of Ohio record based on available statistics dating back to fiscal year 2004, according to the release.
“I am extremely proud of what my Office has accomplished since I became U.S. Attorney just over a year ago,” Gerace said in a statement. “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.”
Gerace credited local, state and federal law enforcement partners for the increases and thanked Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson for providing a special assistant U.S. attorney dedicated to federal gun cases.
The office also reported a 46.3% increase in white-collar crime prosecutions districtwide, with 60 defendants charged. Dayton saw the largest jump, up 125% to nine defendants, followed by Columbus, up 68.4% to 32 defendants. Cincinnati white-collar prosecutions rose 5.6% to 19 defendants.
Among the fraud cases cited in the release were a Medicaid fraud scheme allegedly involving $30 million and a SNAP fraud scheme allegedly involving $29.7 million, both tied to taxpayer-funded government benefit programs.
“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,” Gerace said in the statement. “We will continue to hold fraudsters accountable for stealing taxpayer dollars and for depriving vulnerable citizens of these services.”
Gerace said the office is also focused on combating child exploitation, protecting homeland security, reducing drug trafficking, enforcing immigration laws and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
Suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
