The Geauga County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the arrest of a fourth suspect linked to the violent robbery of an Amish family in Northeast Ohio. According to Cleveland19, the suspect, Ricky Lee Martin, age 43, was apprehended by deputies and officers from the Bainbridge Township Police Department yesterday afternoon. Martin stands accused of complicity to commit aggravated robbery, which is a first-degree felony.
The investigation into the robbery revealed that Martin might have used his position as an Amish taxi driver strategically as a method to scout potential targets for theft and burglary. "It is alleged that Martin, while functioning as an Amish taxi driver, would scout Amish owned businesses, residences and properties, assessing their potential value as targets for burglaries, thefts and other criminal actions," officials from the Geauga County sheriff's office explained in a statement obtained by WKYC.
Earlier this month, two men, William Hatfield and Randall Cromer, were accused of assault and are due to appear in court. As reported by FOX8, they, along with a third accomplice named Bradford Hosler, are alleged to have robbed the family’s business, ransacked their home in Middlefield Township, and used a stun gun to torture both the father and his eight-year-old son during the incident.
Authorities conveyed that the suspects had gotten away with $5,000, most of which was unfortunately spent on drugs. The sheriff himself lamented the lack of recoverable funds, as many victims might have hoped to reclaim their lost assets. "The suspects used a stun gun to torture the father and son," investigators described the brutality of the crime, emphasizing the egregious nature of the suspects' actions in a statement obtained by FOX8.
The Geauga County Sheriff's Office is urging individuals who may have used Martin's services and consequently became victims of theft or burglary to come forward. They have requested that affected parties contact their office at 440-286-1234 to aid in further investigation into the series of alleged crimes perpetuated by this individual, as well as his associated suspects.
