PICKAWAY COUNTY, OH — July 14, 2025 — A South Bloomfield man who triggered a massive law enforcement response with a fabricated hostage report has been sentenced to prison. Jeffery Corby, 44, was found guilty this week of Inducing Panic, a felony, and was sentenced to 12 months behind bars.
The incident unfolded on Saturday, January 18, 2025, when Corby called 911 claiming that a man with a gun was holding a woman hostage in a black pickup truck parked outside the Ohio State Highway Patrol post just south of South Bloomfield along U.S. Route 23.
In response to the alarming call, law enforcement agencies launched a full-scale emergency operation, shutting down U.S. 23, deploying helicopters, drones, and tactical negotiators, and surrounding the area in anticipation of a potential active threat. However, after about an hour of investigation, officials confirmed the entire report was false.
Corby was arrested shortly thereafter and initially held in the Pickaway County Jail. He later pleaded guilty, and after a pre-sentence investigation, the court handed down a 12-month prison sentence this week.
Authorities emphasized that hoaxes of this nature not only drain emergency resources but also put lives at risk, including those of officers, civilians, and other motorists affected by road closures.
