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Reports: NW Ohio Priest convicted of sex trafficking

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Reports: NW Ohio Priest convicted of sex trafficking


TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – A local priest was convicted Friday on a series of federal sex crime, according to our media partner the Blade.

A jury found Rev. Michael J. Zacharias guilty on all charges against him including on sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking of an adult and minor by force, fraud, or coercion.

Zacharias was a priest at St. Michael’s in Findlay. He was arrested in August of 2020. Bishop Daniel Thomas placed him on administrative leave immediately after his arrest.

Prosecutors said Zacharias engaged in sexual misconduct with minors since the late 1990s. According to court documents, Zacharias allegedly targeted two boys at Catholic schools in Toledo who had developed drug addictions, offering to pay them for sexual acts to help them purchase drugs.

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The first victim was allegedly abused as a Catholic school student in Toledo while Zacharias was in seminary school, with Zacharias paying the victim so Zacharias could perform oral sex on him. The relationship continued through adulthood and through Zacharias moving to Van Wert, Fremont, and Findlay, including once when the victim was allegedly paid $1,500 for allowing Zacharias to perform oral sex at the rectory of a parish in Van Wert.

The victim also told the FBI he had visited Zacharias at the rectory in Findlay multiple times since Zacharias had moved from a parish in Fremont, describing in detail the interior of Zacharias’ bedroom and the rectory.

Zacharias and the victim made numerous videos, some depicting sex acts and others called “confession videos,” where Zacharias, dressed in his priest attire, confessed to grooming and performing oral sex on the victim. Those videos have been viewed by FBI agents, according to the complaint.

A second victim named in the complaint also told the FBI that he had met Zacharias while a grade school student at a Catholic school in Toledo, with the abuse beginning during the victim’s ninth-grade year. The sex acts performed by Zacharias on the second victim allegedly occurred at the victim’s home in Toledo.

As Zacharias’ trial began last week, the Diocese of Toledo said the diocese would only be able to pursue a church law process regarding the matter after the federal court case reached a resolution.

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“We invite all to pray for those affected by this case and that truth and justice will be served,” the Diocese of Toledo said in a statement at the beginning of the trial. “The Diocese of Toledo remains vigilant in ensuring the protection of children and providing a safe environment for all young people, as well as ensuring the dignity and integrity of the priesthood.”

The diocese also encouraged anyone who may have been a victim of abuse to report allegations to law enforcement and to the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at 419-214-4880.

The following report aired in August of 2020.



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Ohio Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Midday winning numbers for May 13, 2025

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The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at May 13, 2025, results for each game:

Mega Millions

Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.

06-29-33-47-68, Mega Ball: 20

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

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Pick 3

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 8-4-3

Evening: 1-6-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

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Midday: 0-6-0-5

Evening: 1-3-7-6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 8-1-1-4-6

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Evening: 5-5-3-1-2

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Rolling Cash 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.

04-09-11-12-16

Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Lucky For Life

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 10:35 p.m.

04-14-17-43-44, Lucky Ball: 12

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

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You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form. Our News Automation and AI team would love to hear from you. Take this survey and share your thoughts with us.



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How driving lessons are helping Ohio’s Haitians: ‘Things are getting better’

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How driving lessons are helping Ohio’s Haitians: ‘Things are getting better’


Slowly and carefully, Betina, who came from Haiti to Ohio in 2021, navigates a Toyota SUV between five traffic cones in a parking lot north-west of Springfield.

Betina, who works for a produce processing company, has never driven before. But now, four years into life in Springfield, she has grasped the challenge of learning to drive.

“I live close to my job, so driving is not that big a deal,” she says.

“But I’m taking these classes because when I want to go to Columbus or Dayton, I can drive myself there.”

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Sitting in the passenger seat is driving instructor Josue Pierre, who came to Springfield two years ago, calmly delivering guidance in Haitian Creole.

“Many Haitians had been complaining that when they took the driving test and failed, they were then sent to take the abbreviated adult driver training online, but most of them don’t speak English,” Pierre says later.

“By doing the in-person course with the help of a Creole speaker, that helped them a lot.”

For years, longtime Springfield residents have shown up at city council meetings to complain to authorities about how Haitian drivers were allegedly driving dangerously around the town. Stories emerged of people, allegedly Haitians, accidentally driving into church buildings. Others were blamed for accidents causing deaths and at one point last year, as many as 2,300 Haitians were thought to be driving without licenses in Springfield’s Clark county.

The tragic death of an 11-year-old student whose school bus was hit by a Haitian man driving without a valid license in August 2023, played a major role in Haitians becoming a target for a national debate on immigration during last year’s presidential election campaign.

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But recent months have seen significant efforts under way to solve an issue that has been used to shape the Trump administration’s drastic immigration policies.

“The motivation came from getting a lot of calls from Haitian folks asking if we offered our classes in languages they understand,” says John Whitacre, the owner of Champion City Drivers Ed, the company that employs Pierre.

“Once we started looking into this, we found that there was nowhere in Ohio doing this. Almost 100% of the Haitian people [who have taken the driving lessons] come back and show us appreciation.”

The Ohio state highway patrol’s crash dashboard shows that crashes in Springfield so far this year are set to fall compared with 2024. In the first four months of 2024, 598 crashes were reported. Over the same period this year, the number fell to 542.

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Ten driving simulators were made available in six locations across Springfield, including at two churches that members of the Haitian community attend, with the goal of helping Haitians and others improve their driving skills.

“Last year, we added a Haitian Creole translation of the Ohio Driver Manual Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws. An interactive Haitian Creole version is available on our website and is provided in a printable PDF format,” says Bret Crow, a spokesperson for the Ohio department of public safety.

“The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) also provided newly translated Haitian Creole versions of several of the most common BMV forms to deputy registrar offices.”

With a population of just 60,000 people and an abundance of manufacturing and other labor-intensive jobs coming out of the pandemic, Springfield found itself a desirable location for immigrants such as Haitians. But with an estimated 15,000 people arriving in the city over the past seven years, strain on already limited social services was heightened.

Communities such as Springfield have been losing residents – a vital source of tax dollars that pay for essential public resources – for decades. Springfield leaders have welcomed the revitalization and tax dollars Haitian immigrants have fueled.

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But sharing the road has presented challenges.

Many of the Haitians who have come to Springfield are from rural Haiti, says Pierre, a part of the country where driving and car ownership isn’t a common practice.

“Now, when they come here and have a car, they don’t have a background in driving so that makes it challenging,” says Pierre, who became involved and qualified with driver training certifications after encountering Whitacre through a local church.

Since the in-person Haitian Creole classes started in December, more than 100 Haitian clients have signed up, securing a success rate of over 90%, say the company owners.

The eight-hour course includes four hours of class instruction and four hours behind the wheel. “We do an hour of maneuverability, driving in a commercial zone, a residential zone and on the highway,” says Pierre, who also gives classes in English and Spanish.

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“Things are getting better in driving; there are less accidents, crashes and injuries.”

Last year, Springfield police received a $50,000 grant to promote traffic safety enforcement.

But just as many Haitians in Springfield are securing tools such as driving skills to better integrate in the Springfield community, the Trump administration is ending legal visa programs for Haitians such as humanitarian parole and temporary protected status. Those on the latter program now find themselves being forced to leave the US by 3 August.

The Guardian previously reported that many Haitians began leaving Springfield within days of Trump’s election win in November.

Crow of the Ohio department of public safety says there are up to five trainers who speak English and Haitian Creole available to help during driver simulation sessions.

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Although the new driver training opportunities are welcomed, challenges remain.

When the Guardian visited recently, driving simulators located at the Clark county department of job and family services in Springfield were not easily accessible to the public.

“[Driving] simulators are a tool – they don’t replace the real thing. The challenge with the simulators [located around the city] is that sometimes they are not staffed by someone who speaks the language the user understands,” says Whitacre.

“And the simulator systems are not available in Haitian Creole, so people who don’t speak English are not going to be able to navigate them. That’s the biggest challenge with that.”



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Ohio House budget proposal would slash state school board from 19 to 5 members

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Ohio House budget proposal would slash state school board from 19 to 5 members


COLUMBUS, Ohio – A member of the Ohio State Board of Education on Monday criticized a proposal in the Ohio House’s version of the state budget bill slashing the panel from its current 19 members to five.

Currently, 11 members are elected to the state school board and eight are appointed by the governor. The Ohio House wants the five members to be all appointees.

The proposal is the latest blow to the State Board of Education, which used to oversee education policy in the state. The board was besieged by infighting in recent years. Then three Democrats were elected to the board in 2022, and the GOP-dominated General Assembly gutted the panel of its power over education policy by creating the new Department of Education and Workforce, led by a cabinet-level gubernatorial appointee.

The Ohio State Board of Education still remains in place and meets monthly. But it is only in charge of educator licensing, misconduct investigations, selecting the teacher of the year and approving local school district territory transfers. It selects a state superintendent of public instruction, who manages a staff of about 60 people who run the licensure and investigative functions of the agency.

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DEW is in charge of standardized testing, administering public and private school voucher funding, creating model curricula for local districts to use, and implementing the legislature’s and Gov. Mike DeWine’s education priorities in areas such as the “science of reading” approach to literacy education.

READ MORE: Science of reading: Ohio schools changing approach to teaching literacy this year

During a monthly meeting on Monday, State Board of Education member Teresa Fedor, an elected member who represents an area around Bowling Green and a former Democratic state lawmaker, said that the board combined has 295 years of experience in education, which allows for nuanced discussions about the teaching profession.

Fedor said that there was no stand-alone bill reducing the size of the board to five people, which would have allowed members of the public to share their feelings on the issue.

Ohio has about 400 educator licenses and permits when including bus drivers, coaches, different types of administrators, and licenses for teachers of subjects such as computer science, Fedor said.

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“I’m worried about not having enough teaching experience on that board to make the serious decisions,” she said. “There are a lot of unanswered questions and maybe unintended consequences and whether you support that move or not, I care about getting the best qualified teachers in front of all our students and being held accountable for that.”

Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer asked a spokeswoman for the House Republicans about the reasoning for the proposed board member reduction.

A fiscal document associated with the budget said that the state will save roughly $50,000 a year if the board decreases to five members. The members are paid $32.02 an hour. In 2024, the average compensation was about $3,500. They also receive travel reimbursements.

The House’s budget proposal would abolish the office of each elected member upon expiration of their current term, or if a member resigned and there was a vacancy in their office.

The budget is currently under consideration in the Ohio Senate. The legislature must pass the budget by July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.

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Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.



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