Investigation clears officer

HURON — A non-criminal investigation looking into possible misconduct leveled against a longtime police officer found no wrongdoing committed by him. In spring 2025, Huron officials initially asked Oregon police, near Toledo, to look into what ended up being unsubstantiated claims related to now-retired Officer Keith Lobsinger. On Friday, Huron officials released Oregon's findings in a 67-page report that is heavily redacted to keep the identities of victims and other sensitive information private. Ryan Spangler, Oregon's assistant police chief, headed up what Huron officials called an "employee-review internal investigation," which took nearly 10 months to complete, mainly due to scheduling conflicts with people he interviewed or attempted to speak with. Huron police handed off the investigation to Oregon, which performed it at no cost. Spangler noted he completed his task "thoroughly, fairly, independently and (with) impartially." The one person he didn't interview, however, was Ashli Ford, a local podcaster who spread these allegations, which included her raising concerns with inappropriate telecommunications by Lobsinger and others in the city and school district. Oregon's investigation solely focused on Lobsinger. "While Ms. Ford posted that she is 'fully cooperating in the police investigation,' Ms. Ford did not show up to any scheduled interview appointments for a face-to-face conversation but did communicate numerous times with me by email," according to Spangler, noting she did provide some information. In a related, albeit separate investigation undertaken by Huron Schools, which ended in December, it also cleared Lobsinger and other school officials of any misconduct. Also in that investigation, Ford also failed to fully cooperate with investigators. She did not respond to follow-up requests for information, according to the school-led investigation done by Venice Solutions Group. Lobsinger also served as Huron's school resource officer for many years. Before either investigation started, Lobsinger informed Huron officials about his plans to retire in January 2026. Back in April, Huron school board members learned Lobsinger would be reassigned within the force, according to a city police memo. At this time, neither those representing the school district nor the city government plan to take any further action on this matter. Two leading Huron officials each provided a statement about the Oregon investigation: • Stu Hamilton, city manager: "The city of Huron takes every complaint against a member of staff extremely seriously, just as we did with this one. We ensured that this process was fully independent and transparent in search of the truth, and we accept the final conclusions. We are committed to providing the very best services to our residents with an amazing staff." • Terry Graham, police chief: "In order to maintain a transparent, independent, objective and unbiased internal investigation, the Oregon Police Department was requested to investigate this task. I want to thank this agency for their professionalism and the hundreds of hours dedicated to this investigation all at no cost to the city of Huron." Ford's criminal case continues Meanwhile, Ford is facing numerous charges in an unrelated case involving her pending mortgage fraud case. In late January, a grand jury indicted Ford, 40, of Milan, on the following charges: • Two counts of telecommunications fraud, each a second-degree felony • Two counts of forgery, each a fifth-degree felony • One count of attempted aggravated theft, a fourth-degree felony According to this most recent indictment, between July 2022 and January 2023, Ford allegedly "devised a scheme" to defraud the federal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and a mortgage loan servicer of "over $150,000." With this new indictment, Ford is now facing 12 felony charges in this case, including tampering with records, forgery, aggravated theft and identity fraud. Ford was first indicted by an Erie County grand jury in this case in July 2025 and again in September. At her arraignment hearing on Dec. 9, she pleaded not guilty to the charges. Ford has an upcoming court hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on April 28, according to court records. That hearing — a final plea hearing — was scheduled prior to her new indictment, and it's likely she'll have a court date on her new charges before then. Right now, Ford is out of jail on her own recognizance, and her bond was continued, according to court records. Erie County prosecutor Kevin Baxter said previously that the charges in this case are unrelated to Ford's recent conviction, in which she was found guilty by a judge on four felony intimidation charges for threats posted online against local government officials. She was sentenced on Aug. 18 to serve three years of probation. Baxter said the alleged fraud stems from a 2022 foreclosure action filed against Ford and the alleged victim and co-signer of the home loan in the 500 block of E. Mason Road. Baxter explained that the issue arose from a previous foreclosure that began on Jan. 31, 2020, which led the co-signer and Ford to agree to sell the home and use the proceeds to settle the overdue payments. But, instead of selling the home, Ford allegedly forged the co-signer's signature to secure a federal loan by falsely claiming a familial relationship and used the funds to dismiss the foreclosure and modify the loan. Baxter said more than $30,000 in federal funds were used to bring the loan current, but the mortgage is now delinquent again.