An investigation into the alleged criminal activity of a Kosciusko County resident has also led to the arrest of the county’s Sheriff.
Multiple charges have been filed against three individuals following an extensive investigation by Warsaw Police and Indiana State Police. A press conference was held Monday afternoon to address the matter by appointed Special Prosecutor Nelson Chipman in Marshall County. He says the grand jury charges stem from an investigation started as part of Kevin Bronson’s separate cocaine and gang-activity arrest in August of 2015.
“On that same day, at our request, Mr. Bronson was transferred to the Marshall County Jail where he has remained incarcerated with the exception of being transported to and from Kosciusko County to confer with his attorney and to appear in court proceedings related to the cocaine case,” says Chipman.
Bronson has admitted in past conversations that he was a member of a gang. As part of the new grand jury indictments, unsealed Monday morning, Bronson is now facing 10 felony counts, including: Corrupt Business Influence and Intimidation.
The grand jury has accused Bronson and Mark Soto, a religious mentor of Bronson’s, of intimidating residents of the Kosciusko County community to obtain services for free or in the form of kickbacks. The monies are thought to benefit the operation of a company called Young Dragon Enterprises. In addition, Bronson was looking to tell his story of religious conversion through a movie or book deal in his activities, allegedly requesting an attorney help him secure such a deal for free or face harm.
During Bronson’s past incarcerations, Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine is alleged to have accepted money in the tens-of-thousands of dollars on separate occasions between 2011 and 2015. In exchange, Rovenstine would allegedly allow Bronson special privileges such as unrecorded meetings and phone calls between Bronson and Soto.
Chipman made comments during his address that he was going to renew efforts to have the Grand Jury’s Report and Recommendation unsealed.
“For a grand jury to prepare and file a document entitled Grand Jury Report and Recommendation is, in my experience, highly unusual,” says Chipman. “It would be fair to assume the document contains documents of vital public concern to the citizens of Kosciusko County.”
Sheriff Rovenstine is facing 10 felony counts, including: Bribery and Official Misconduct. He’s also facing an intimidation charge for allegedly communicating a threat to an investigator with the Warsaw Police Department. Rovenstine was arrested on Monday morning without incident, but bonded out of jail on $10-thousand surety.
If convicted on the charges, Bronson could receive more than 40 years in prison, Soto could be looking at more than 20 years in jail, and Sheriff Rovenstine could be facing more than 35 years in prison if convicted.
Hearings for each of the cases have not been set.
