Dayton corruption probe: What happened with all 6 convictions

Fired city of Dayton employee RoShawn Winburn will be spared prison after a federal judge amended his sentence in a public corruption case to time served in home detention and three years of community control.

Winburn, 48, was scheduled to report to federal prison this week but was granted the amended judgment on July 1 by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose, according to federal court documents.

In amending the sentence, Rose considered “Winburn’s substantial assistance” in the case, said David Williamson, one of Winburn’s original attorneys.

» Indictments prompt city of Dayton to strengthen anti-fraud efforts

In Feb. 2020 Winburn pleaded guilty to one count of corruptly soliciting a bribe in return for giving confidential information to an individual seeking city contracts. Other counts against him were dismissed in the plea deal. In July 2020 Rose sentenced Winburn to six months in prison, two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $8,500, which Winburn paid in full in November 2020. His date to report to prison had been repeatedly rescheduled.

Winburn, a former Huber Heights councilman, solicited the bribes while working for the city of Dayton. He was fired as the city’s business and technical assistance administrator after his indictment was announced in 2019 when the feds revealed their investigation of public corruption in the Dayton region.

That investigation also led to the convictions of:

  • Dayton businessman Brian Higgins, 51, on three counts of mail fraud and two counts of tampering with a witness with intent to retaliate. In May he was sentenced to 36 months in prison on the witness retaliation convictions and 24 months on the mail fraud convictions, and he has filed notice of appeal.
  • Former Dayton city commissioner Joey D. Williams, 56, of Dayton, on one count of corruptly soliciting a bribe.
  • Former state representative Clayton Luckie, 59, of Dayton on one count of mail fraud.
  • Green Star Trucking, owned by former Trotwood Mayor Joyce Sutton Cameron, 73, on one count of conspiracy to engage in mail fraud.
  • Steve Rauch Inc., owned by Steve Rauch, 67, of Germantown, on one count of conspiracy to engage in mail fraud.

The two companies were fined, Luckie served his term and Williams was released from prison early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Winburn is scheduled to begin serving his term on August 10.

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