Dayton firm indicted on dumping charge
Rauch Trucking Co. Inc. accused of dumping on city-owned land.
Rauch Trucking Co., owned by a prominent Dayton businessman, is charged with illegally dumping on West Carrollton land.
The trucking company owned by a prominent Dayton businessman has been indicted, charged with illegally dumping on West Carrollton land.
Rauch Trucking Co. Inc. has been charged by a Montgomery County grand jury, court records show.
The trucking company “did unlawfully and recklessly dispose of solid waste by open dumping” from January 2016 through May 2016 on land at 4000 Hydraulic Drive owned by the city of West Carrollton, according to the indictment filed Tuesday.
The indictment was signed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, records indicate. The Dayton trucking company is set to appear in court on the charge Aug. 20, court records show.
Company ownerSteveRauch declined to comment Tuesday on the charge against his company. Rauch, 64, was indicted in November 2018 on counts of open dumping and burning, and operating a solid waste facility without a license. Rauch and one of his managers, Jennifer M. Copeland, were both charged in an illegal dumping case involving two of his businesses, Bearcreek Farms Inc. and SRI Inc.
In December, Rauch and Copeland pleaded not guilty to the charges. Rauch faces five counts and Copeland for counts for alleged crimes committed between January 2016 and late December 2016, court records show.
The charges announced late last year by Ohio AG’s office include several allegations of illegal dumping at three locations, according to court records. One is a city of West Carrollton Hydraulic Road property that Rauch was permitted to use as a dump site in 2016, when health officials said they discovered 30 tons of illegally dumped debris there. Another is his licensed landfill, SRI. The third is Bearcreek Farms in Jefferson Twp.
Federal investigators have subpoenaed records about his business dealings with the city of Dayton as part of a separate public corruption case. He hasn’t been charged in the federal corruption investigation.
Rauch incorporated his business in 1976, according to state records. He now owns property and buildings — more than 800 acres — in Montgomery County valued at $3.99 million, according to county auditor records. He owns a cattle farm in Jefferson Twp. and in 2015 bought his Germantown home for $739,500.