Podcaster sentenced to probation

SANDUSKY — A local podcaster was sentenced to probation after being convicted of felonies relating to threatening social media posts directed at public officials. Ashli Ford, 40, of Milan, will not serve jail time if she abides by the terms of her three-year probation. Ford was convicted in May of four counts of intimidation, each a third-degree felony. If she breaks the terms of probation, a nine-month jail sentence would be imposed. She must also pay a $2,000 fine. Ford's attorney, Peter Pattakos, indicated they intend to appeal the sentence this week. Attorneys make their case Prosecution and defense attorneys made their final remarks to the judge prior to sentencing. Erie County prosecutor Kevin Baxter said that Ford is likely to reoffend due to her having charges of falsification against her in Norwalk Municipal Court at the time she committed her current offense. Ford was ultimately acquitted of the charges of falsification. "(Ford) shows no genuine remorse for the offense," Baxter said. "There's no accountability." Baxter pointed out that Ford refused to sign a presentence investigation form. "There's a disrespect for the system here," he said. Baxter asked that the visiting judge, Debra Boros, impose a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Pattakos, on the point of the form, said there was a miscommunication that had occurred between him and Ford. He additionally stated that Ford is not a flight risk and believes that jail time was not warranted in this case due to the nature of the charges and her overall lack of a criminal record. "She will continue to abide by whatever restrictions this court placed on her in terms of probation or any non-residential sanctions," Pattakos said. "There is no mandatory jail time on any of these charges, whether they are merged or otherwise." Victim statements Norwalk Mayor David Light and former Norwalk safety service director Mike White, who were victims in the case and subjects of two of the four intimidation charges that Ford was convicted of, read statements to the court ahead of Boros' ruling. White was the first to speak to the court and delivered a passionate statement about his views on Ford and the harm she has caused. "She exploits victims and profits off their pain. That's what Ashli Ford does," White said. "Ashli Ford is a predator, her actions are deliberate, her incarceration is necessary." Following White's statement, Light returned a similar sentiment regarding Ford's lack of accountability and how she has put many in harm's way due to her actions. "As little as last week, our chief of police in Norwalk and our safety service director are putting out fires that she still starts through her social media and her podcasts," Light said. "She has inflicted a lot of harm on my family members as well as a fellow law enforcement officer." More people who were previously identified as victims in Ford's criminal case were present in the courtroom, who did not speak, including members of Amanda Dean's family. Dean was a 36-year-old mother and resident of Collins in Huron County who went missing on July 11, 2017. Since then, a man, Fred Reer, 41, has been charged with her murder and is currently awaiting trial in Huron County. Ford and Shannon Dean, Amanda's sister, had been communicating for a brief period regarding Amanda's disappearance. Ford allegedly began to pressure Shannon into releasing text messages between her and her sister in the lead-up to Amanda's disappearance, and allegedly threatened to expose information about the family if she did not provide the text messages, according to testimony in Ford's trial from John Majoy, village of Newburgh Heights police chief and past president of Cleveland Missing. Judge's criticism Boros had sharp words for Ford. "The court's concern is that she doesn't recognize the gravity of the offenses," she said. "She doesn't recognize the potential for incarceration, and she doesn't recognize that she must follow rules even when she doesn't like them." In addition, Boros told Ford that her and Pattakos' remarks of a misunderstanding on the unsigned court form is "not going to be acceptable." "I don't know how to make it any clearer as to what's required of an individual who is convicted of a crime but to do exactly as the terms of probation require," Boros said. Ford responds Ford addressed Boros, where she expressed that she disagreed with Boros' assessment of how she didn't follow probation rules. "I was under extreme probation rules when I was first put on probation for four months. I was not allowed to access social media, I was on a gag order, and I was on an ankle monitor," Ford said. "I understand the court's rules, and I intend to follow them to the letter of the law." Ford additionally claimed that she would "love to" apologize but was advised not to do so by her attorney. Sentence read Boros read out her probation sentence, which included various terms: • Maintain full-time employment • Pay the $2,000 fine • Complete a mental health assessment • Sign all necessary court releases • Have no contact with victims in the case; Additionally, individuals affiliated with Ford may not have any contact with victims. • To not leave Ohio without consent from a probation officer "If you violate the no-contact order, you'll find yourself back here in court," Boros told Ford, reiterating that the nine-month sentence would additionally be imposed. At the conclusion of the hearing, victims and their families filed out of the courtroom first, followed by Ford and her supporters and family. Ford, family and Pattakos could be seen posing for a photo outside of the courtroom. One person could be seen wearing a hoodie featuring Ford's jail mugshot. Shortly after the courtroom was let out for the day, a social media post made by a "Jeff Logan," a Facebook account that often posts in and interacts with Ford and her followers, mentioned the four victims — appearing to mock them as "tough guys" — who are the subject of Ford's four intimidation charges. It is not clear if this would constitute a violation of the no-contact portion of Ford's probation. Pending case Ford has another pending criminal case in Erie County. She was indicted in July on: • Two counts of tampering with records, both third-degree felonies • One count of forgery, a third-degree felony • One count of aggravated theft, a third-degree felony • One count of securing writings by deception, a third-degree felony Those charges relate to allegations of an alleged forgery in a loan filing on a home mortgage.