A Warren County grand jury has indicted a 60-year-old Lebanon man on four criminal counts after he allegedly attacked his Lyft driver while yelling racial slurs.
Gardiner Mosher faces one count each of strangulation, ethnic intimidation, aggravated menacing and assault, according to court documents reported by WLWT on Thursday. The alleged assault occurred on Monday, May 18.
Court records state Mosher pushed the driver and then put him in a chokehold from behind while shouting racial slurs. The driver's name has not been released.
Mosher is scheduled to be arraigned in a Warren County courtroom on Thursday, August 7, at 8:30 a.m. Warren County courts serve Mason and Deerfield Township residents.
What the charges mean
The strangulation charge is the most serious count Mosher faces. Ohio made strangulation a standalone felony under Ohio Revised Code § 2903.18 in April 2023. According to the Columbus Criminal Attorney legal resource, Ohio was the last state in the country to elevate strangulation from a misdemeanor to a felony. A conviction can carry six months to eight years in prison, though the specific felony degree charged in Mosher's case has not been detailed in available court records.
The ethnic intimidation count, under Ohio Revised Code § 2927.12, applies when a crime is committed because of the victim's race, color, religion or national origin. Under the statute, ethnic intimidation is charged as the next higher degree than the underlying offense.
The specific felony degree levels for each of the four counts have not been detailed in available records.
No official statement
No spokesperson from the Warren County Prosecutor's Office or any law enforcement agency has made a public statement about the case as of Friday, July 25.
What's next
Mosher's arraignment on Thursday, August 7, at 8:30 a.m. in Warren County court will be the next public milestone in this case. At arraignment, Mosher will enter a plea and the court may set bond conditions or a trial date.
Residents who witness a hate crime or violent assault can contact the Warren County Sheriff's Office at 513-695-1280 or call 911 in an emergency.
