C. Aaron Rovenstine

WARSAW — Kosciusko County Sheriff C. Aaron Rovenstine, 57, 7885 W. 100N, Warsaw, is among the three individuals who have been indicted by a Kosciusko County Grand Jury. Rovenstine has turned himself in this morning, Feb. 29.

A warrant was issued today for Rovenstine’s arrest on three counts of bribery, level 5 felonies; intimidation, a level 6 felony; and five counts of official misconduct, level 6 and class D felonies.

Also charged in the indictment, with warrants issued, are Kevin L. Bronson, 36, being held at the Marshall County Jail, Plymouth and Mark H. Soto, 61, 815 N. Zimmer Road Warsaw, program director for the ministry studies program at Grace College.

Indictments against Bronson include three counts of corrupt business influence, class C and level 5 felonies and seven counts of intimidation, class D, level 6 and level 5 felonies.

Soto’s indictments include: three counts of corrupt business influence, class C and level 5 felonies; and three counts of intimidation, class D felonies.

Court documents filed on Feb. 26, in Kosciusko Circuit Court, state around March 11, 2011, through June 30, 2014, Rovenstine accepted $40,000 from Bronson to provide him special privileges while an inmate in the county jail through visitations with Soto. The special privileges allegedly occurred July 1, 2014, through July 19, 2015; July 20, 2015, through Aug. 10, 2015; and Aug. 14, 2015.

Kevin Lee Bronson

It also states that Rovenstine communicated a threat to a law enforcement officer, Paul Heaton with the Warsaw Police Department, placing him in fear of retaliation in a criminal investigation while Bronson was incarcerated. This occurred from on or about March 20, 2015, through April 9, 2015. Rovenstine additionally on or about March 20, 2015, after being informed Bronson and Soto were subject of a criminal investigation, assisted the two by allowing unauthorized unrecorded phone conversation or unrecorded or unsupervised visitations. These allegedly occurred between March 11, 2011, and June 30, 2014.

The charges of official misconduct stem from the alleged bribery instances between July 1, 2014, through July 19, 2015; July 20, 2015, through Aug. 10, 2015; Aug. 14, 2015, and the intimidation instances March 20, 2015, through April 9, 2015; and that he knowingly or intentionally committed the crime of assisting a criminal in the performance of his official duties.

Soto and Bronson Charges

The indictments against Soto and Bronson state from Oct. 16, 2012, through May 19, 2015, the pair received money from individuals through a pattern of racketeering and used those funds to operate Young Dragon Enterprises LLC, and that Soto and Bronson were associated with the business and they participated in a pattern or series of acts of intimidation against various individuals.

The intimidation charges stem from both men allegedly making threats against, David Baker, an attorney to provide extensive legal services and prepare documents aimed at securing a movie contract and/or a book contract without payment and put the attorney in fear of retaliation for a prior lawful act, declining to provide legal services and prepare documents. The threat was to commit a forcible felony – beatings or killings of the attorney or his family members.

Mark H. Soto

A doctor, Dr. Steven Hollar, was also threatened to perform professional services without payment with the threat of beating the doctor

The other intimidation charges are a result of both men threatening individuals: Nate McLaurin, Tyler Silveus, Brian Hickerson, and Corey Greene, to: provide contact information for Bronson’s superior in the Aryan Brotherhood, secure periodic payments to Bronson and Young Dragon Enterprises LLC totaling $84,012.50, and another to provide payments totaling more than $500. In all instances parties were threatened with beatings or killings of themselves or family members.

James King was forced to cash a check made out to him for work completed and to return a substantial portion of the proceeds from the check to Bronson in cash after being threatened to have his legs broken.

Documents show the witnesses in the charges against Bronson and Soto included: Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker, Warsaw Detective Sgt. Paul Heaton, Warsaw Assistant Chief Bryan Sherwin, Dr. Steven Holler, David Baker, Nate McLaurin, Tyler Silveus, Brian Hickerson, Corey Green and James King.

Witnesses against Rovenstine included: Whitaker Heaton, Sherwin, Baker, Aaron Rypma, Neil Hodges, Al Lorwance, Chad Sherwood, Kory Fields, Mike Heady, Kyle Cooper, Justin Smith, James Winters, Kelly Prater, Paul Nowak Tammy Rocky, Daniel Meza, Travis Nichols, Darcy Meade, Roberto Martinez, Joseph Courtois, Alvin Dials, Gordon Nash, Jayne Stoops, James Zimmerman, Drew Shingler, Matthew Holderman, Rocky Goshert, Michelle Hobbs, Eric Kelley, Don Wiesehan, John Lowe, Deb Miller, Robert Momeyer, Phil Heinzman, Darren Heinzman, Kim Sivits, Brandon Zartman, Chelsea Robison-Burkholder, Mandy Schultz, Todd Sautter, Chris McKeand, Joshua Lawson, Joe Mooney, Chris Rager, Mike Speigle, Matt Rapp, JD Ayers and Joel Popenfoose.

The indictments are signed by the grand jury foreperson. It is believed the persons name is Matthew David Baneless. The handwriting on the last name is illegible.

Related:
Press Conference on Grand Jury Indictment
Professor Seeks Millions for Vindictive WPD Actions
Bronson Cocaine Arrest from 2014