COLUMBUS, Ohio (Aug. 22, 2025) — A Scioto County Commissioner and his wife have been indicted in connection with an alleged kickback and bribery scheme tied to public contracts at the Southern Ohio Port Authority and a Portsmouth-area business park.
The Scioto County Grand Jury handed down the indictments Friday, Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber announced.
Commissioner Bryan Davis faces 13 felony counts, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, theft in office, money laundering, aggravated theft, tampering with evidence, receiving stolen property, forgery, obstructing justice, tampering with records, and filing false tax returns.
His wife, Lorinda Sue Davis, faces 10 felony counts on related charges, including corrupt activity, money laundering, tampering with evidence, receiving stolen property, forgery, and obstructing justice.
“This is an outright abuse of the public trust,” Auditor Faber said. “We will work to ensure justice is served for the people of Scioto County.”
The indictments stem from a broader investigation by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) into contracts at the Southern Ohio Aeronautical Regional (SOAR) Business Park, adjacent to the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport.
Earlier this year, Robert Horton, former head of the Southern Ohio Port Authority and the Scioto County Economic Development Department, and his wife Lioubov Horton were also indicted on multiple felony counts. Prosecutors allege the Hortons and the Davises conspired to funnel kickback payments through consulting firms they owned and falsified records to mislead investigators.
Attorneys from SIU have been appointed as special prosecutors in the case.
Since 2019, SIU has assisted in more than 140 convictions resulting in over $13 million in restitution.
