Ohio Businessman Allegedly Defrauds Insurer Over Home Repair Bill

The counts in the updated indictment replace those in three earlier indictments of Higgins, 50, of Dayton, who pleaded not guilty after the original indictment was announced in 2019.

Higgins is accused of defrauding an insurance company that paid for repairs to his home.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on the updated indictment on Jan. 5, and his trial is set for Jan. 10 before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose on three counts of mail fraud, two counts of tampering with a witness, and two counts of tampering with a witness with intent to retaliate, according to the indictment. All are felonies.

Higgins is the final defendant remaining in the federal government's public corruption investigation that led to the conviction of former Dayton city commissioner Joey D. Williams, 55, of Dayton; former state representative Clayton Luckie, 58, of Dayton; and former Dayton city employee RoShawn Winburn, 47, of Huber Heights.

Luckie served his term, Williams was released early last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winburn is scheduled to begin serving his term on Jan. 10.

Green Star Trucking, owned by former Trotwood Mayor Joyce Sutton Cameron, 73; and Steve Rauch Inc., owned by Steve Rauch, 66, of Germantown, also pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to engage in mail fraud and were fined.

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