Barry K. Riley

Last night at the Warren County Child Advocacy Center’s 2026 Blue Ribbon Gala, Detective Brandi Carter from our office received the Rachel A. Hutzel Award for outstanding service to the center and its mission to protect our children. Brandi has been involved with the center since its inception and is so very deserving of this award. If you ever see Detective Carter, ask her, “What is your why?” I promise, you can relate. We are so proud of her, and everyone who worked so hard on the gala. Well done!

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the drowning death of a four year old child. Around 4 P.M. today, deputies and EMS were notified and responded to the scene. A child was found in a pond near his home in the Waters Edge subdivision of Deerfield Township. Life saving measures were attempted but were ultimately unsuccessful. The child was pronounced deceased at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The investigation is still ongoing, and no more information will be released at this time. Our condolences go out to the family for this tragic loss.

Congratulations to Deputy Makenzie Cotton, who was promoted to the rank of Sergeant today. She will be assigned to the Deerfield Township Post effective February 7th. She is recognized as a leader amongst her peers and this promotion is a natural progression in her career.

Corrections Officers C. Norris and K. Short successfully completed the Corrections Academy! This a huge step on their journey in this profession. Congratulations! We have an amazing partnership with surrounding counties where we share resources. This academy was hosted by the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office. These partnerships allow us to provide our Corrections Staff more opportunities for high quality training.

Arrest Made in Wayne Township Shooting 31 year old Noah Brandon Collin Bays of Piqua, Ohio has been arrested in regards to the shooting incident. He will be extradited to Warren County.

Of course the ladies rock! Tonight the Lebanon Eagles Ladies Auxiliary donated over $5,000.00 to our K9 program. Here Deputies Billmaier (Hendrix) and Hawthorne (Flex) graciously accepted this donation, which will soon be used as we again expand our K9 program.

One of the most popular and recognizable deputies to ever work for our office retired today after more than 25 years of service. Congrats to Deputy Jeff Everhart! On his first day of employment with our office, he met a lady by the name of Tonya Cornett, and the two of them hit it off. On his retirement day and at the conclusion of the ceremony, Sheriff Barry Riley officiated and officially joined the two of them in marriage. They truly are an awesome couple, and we were honored to share that moment with them. Deputy Everhart will continue his service to the residents of Warren County as a volunteer Special Deputy Sheriff.

The WCSO has added another canine to the Enforcement Division. Deputy Danielle Deatherage and her partner, Jerry Lee, will start their training together next week to obtain their State of Ohio certification. The purchase of Jerry Lee (German Shepherd) was fully funded by the generosity of the Sergeant Brian Dulle Memorial. Look for both to be on patrol by early 2026!!

HUGE milestone for this man. This is Sergeant Kevin White (KW) and he is holding his service stars representing 30 years of service to our office and to our county. Well done and well earned my friend.

Update on Homicide The victim of the homicide has been identified as 79-year-old Emilia Vinokur. Emilia resided in Deerfield Township with the suspect Gerald Olin Finley. There was no prior history with the couple. Emilia’s cause of death was determined to be the result of a gunshot wound, and the incident was confined to the vehicle she was located within. The Warren County Sheriff’s Office extends our condolences to the family and friends of Emilia. Gerald Finley remains in the Warren County Jail on a $200,000 dollar cash only bond pending further court proceedings. He has been charged with felonious assault and murder. This investigation remains ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.

NEWS UPDATE - HOMICIDE ARREST

Today our jail was inspected by Ohio's Bureau of Adult Detention as required by statute. The inspection consists of 174 standards involving medical care, security, housing, sanitation etc... being reviewed for compliance. Due to the hard work and dedication of our corrections staff, we were able achieve 100% compliance and will continue to be rated a fully compliant jail in the State of Ohio.

Major Steve Arrasmith accepted a financial contribution from the Wayne Township Trustees during their meeting last night. Thank you to the trustees and citizens of Wayne Township for their continued support of the Warren County Drug Task Force. We also want to thank each Warren County community for their ongoing support and financial contributions each year. The countywide support we receive is appreciated and critical to the sustainability of our task force. Together we make a difference..

One of the Required Duties of the Sheriff - Sex Offender Registry We had a full house today from agencies across Ohio for updated sex offender registry training. To learn more, check out our website: sheriff.warrencountyohio.gov

The Warren County Sheriff's Office has partnered with the Board of Developmental Disabilities in the Blue Envelope Program. The program provides an avenue for individuals with disabilities to communicate with our deputies during encounters when normal lines of communication may not be available. The envelopes allow individuals to keep pertinent information, such as driver's license or identification card, insurance, emergency contacts, medication lists, and disability information, all in one place. This can allow a quicker and more effective response from first responders. Envelopes are available at any of our offices or from our deputies. As always, we strive to help those in need in the best way possible. For more information on the program, go to nps-aid.org/blue-envelope-…

News Alert - Arrest of Suspect in Deerfield Stand-Off

Phone Scam Alert A phone scam has resurfaced in the Warren County area. Citizens are reporting phone calls from individuals identifying themselves as law enforcement officers. The caller will identify themselves as a Sheriff’s Office employee or other law enforcement agency employee. They will then advise a warrant is issued for their arrest for a MISSED A COURT DATE, CRIMINAL OFFENSE or a COURT PROCESS and attempt to collect money (fine) to clear the warrant. The Warren County Sheriff’s Office DOES NOT request money over the phone. Our employees do not arrange or accept money from the public in lieu of arrest or to resolve criminal or court-related matters. If you have any suspicion regarding a phone call, hang up and contact your local law enforcement agency. If anyone has been a victim of this type of crime, or has information, they can contact the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, at 513-695-1280, the Communications Center at 513-695-2525, or e-mail crimetips@wcsooh.org

Phone Scam Alert

Welcome to the 2025 Warren County Fair!

Today was a big day for these three men and our office. Pictured left to right: Deputy Ronald Smith (Sergeant) Sergeant Andrew Grossenbaugh (Lieutenant) Lieutenant Brian Payne (Captain) These three have years of experience in our profession and are viewed as leaders by their peers. Congratulations to them on their well-earned promotions.