State v. Toliver

2025 Ohio 4871
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 23, 2025
Docket25 NO 0524
StatusPublished

This text of 2025 Ohio 4871 (State v. Toliver) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Toliver, 2025 Ohio 4871 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Toliver, 2025-Ohio-4871.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT NOBLE COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.

DECHAUN TOLIVER,

Defendant-Appellant.

OPINION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY Case No. 25 NO 0524

Criminal Appeal from the Court of Common Pleas of Noble County, Ohio Case No. 224-2015

BEFORE: Katelyn Dickey, Cheryl L. Waite, Carol Ann Robb, Judges.

JUDGMENT: Affirmed.

Atty. Jordan C. Croucher, Noble County Prosecutor, for Plaintiff-Appellee and

Dechaun Toliver, Defendant-Appellant.

Dated: October 23, 2025 ̶ 2 ̶

DICKEY, J.

Pro se Appellant, Dechaun E. Toliver, appeals from the March 11, 2025 judgment of the Noble County Court of Common Pleas convicting him of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto grounds of a specified governmental facility (CH- PIATA, a Schedule I Substance) and sentencing him to 24 months in prison, consecutive to an unrelated term of incarceration, following a jury trial. On appeal, Appellant raises arguments involving sufficiency of the evidence, prosecutorial misconduct, and equal protection. Finding no reversible error, we affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On March 6, 2024, Appellant, while incarcerated at the Noble Correctional Institution (“NCI”), Inmate No. A745714, was secretly indicted by the Noble County Grand Jury on one count of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto grounds of a specified governmental facility (CH-PIATA, a Schedule I Substance), a felony of the third degree in violation of R.C. 2921.36(A)(2) and (G)(2). Appellant was appointed counsel and pled not guilty at his arraignment. On August 9, 2024, Appellant filed a motion to dismiss the indictment based on three grounds: (1) Appellant believes that an essential element of the charge against him is that the conveyance must be onto the grounds of a detention facility, to wit, NCI; (2) that the conveyance was interrupted via interdiction by officers of NCI and/or the Ohio State Highway Patrol (“Highway Patrol”); and (3) there is no evidence that he placed the illicit drugs along the highway nor was the conveyance to NCI ever accomplished. Appellee, the State of Ohio, filed a response one week later. On November 4, 2024, the trial court overruled Appellant’s motion to dismiss and set the matter for a jury trial. A jury trial was held on March 6-7, 2025. The State presented five witnesses: (1) Jared McGilton, the Investigator Administrative Warden’s Assistant at NCI; (2) Zachary Lee, a criminalist at the Highway Patrol Crime Lab; (3) Eric Mullins, a Parole Officer for the State; (4) Trenas Weaver, a Highway Patrol Trooper; and (5) Catlin Cutlip, who grew up together with Appellant, his co-defendant, and described him “[l]ike, [her] brother[.]” (3/6-7/2025 Jury Trial Tr., p. 313). Numerous State Exhibits were admitted into evidence including: Exhibit A (nine audio files); Exhibits B-1 to B-3 (videos); Exhibits

Case No. 25 NO 0524 ̶ 3 ̶

C-1 to C-21 (photographs); Exhibit D-1 (Highway Patrol Criminalist Lee’s report); and Exhibit D-2 (packaging of substances analyzed). NCI inmates, including Appellant, worked as part of a clean-up crew and were permitted beyond the fence of NCI for the purpose of cleaning up trash and debris along Interstate 77. Upon completion of their trash pickup, inmates were transported back to NCI. On August 28, 2022, Cutlip, Appellant’s co-defendant, traveled to Noble County in possession of CH-PIATA, a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid, concealed in various balloons. Cutlip concealed the balloons containing the narcotics into a bag of trash. She tossed the trash bag onto the side of Interstate 77 near a billboard just north of Exit 25. Before, during, and after Cutlip completed the narcotics drop, phone calls between herself and Appellant were reviewed. Cutlip and Appellant engaged in several discussions. Appellant initially advised Cutlip that he needed her assistance and that he would pay her approximately $2,000 for her role. They discussed how to properly conceal the narcotics in trash and where to deposit the concealed narcotics. Cutlip confirmed that Appellant’s intention in hiring her was for her to assist him in bringing “papers” into NCI. (3/6-7/2025 Jury Trial Tr., p. 313). Cutlip and Appellant discussed items referred to as “suits” and “papers” in reference to Suboxone strips and the paper that is soaked in synthetic drugs. (Id. at p. 143). Cutlip and Appellant further discussed utilizing a fast-food bag, packaging the narcotics in a Ziploc baggy before depositing them in a fast-food bag, then into a large garbage bag, and leaving the collection of items on Interstate 77 near a billboard just north of Exit 25. Cutlip was to notify Appellant that the drop was successful. All of Cutlip’s activities were found to be at Appellant’s direction. During the narcotics drop, Appellant attempted to conceal his involvement by switching to a separate phone PIN provided to another inmate. NCI Investigator McGilton was able to positively identify the parties by the phone numbers involved, the PIN numbers, and their voices. Members of the Highway Patrol and NCI Investigative Unit were stationed in various locations around the suspected drop site. The Highway Patrol visually observed and identified Cutlip and her vehicle.

Case No. 25 NO 0524 ̶ 4 ̶

After Cutlip deposited the narcotics in trash along Interstate 77, law enforcement secured the narcotics and replaced them with a fictitious package so that they could further observe the involvement of any other potential inmates. Inside the large garbage bag was a series of balloons containing what was believed by law enforcement personnel to be illegal narcotics. That suspicion was ultimately confirmed. Highway Patrol Criminalist Lee testified that the substance provided to the lab was tested by him and was found to contain CH-PIATA, a synthetic cannabinoid and a Schedule I controlled substance. Upon retrieval of the illegal narcotics, a fictitious package was used to replace the original. The next day, members of the Highway Patrol and NCI Investigative Unit were again stationed for observation. Law enforcement and investigators observed only Appellant approach and retrieve the trash bag at issue, left by Cutlip the day before, including the package of fictitious drugs. At the conclusion of the State’s case, Appellant moved for an acquittal pursuant to Crim.R. 29 which was overruled by the trial court. The defense rested without presenting evidence. The jury found Appellant guilty on the sole count of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto grounds of a specified governmental facility (CH-PIATA, a Schedule I Substance) as contained in the indictment. On March 11, 2025, the trial court sentenced Appellant to serve 24 months in prison, consecutive to an unrelated term of incarceration. The court also advised Appellant that he may be subject to post-release control for up to two years. Appellant filed a timely pro se appeal and raises four assignments of error.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

THE EVIDENCE IS INSUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN THE CONVICTION. THE STATE DID NOT PROVE THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE CRIME BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, INSTEAD RELIED ON “SPECULATION & CONJECTURE” OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. THE STATE EVEN ALLEGES THAT APPELLANT DID NOT COMMIT THE CRIME.

Case No. 25 NO 0524 ̶ 5 ̶

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 2

THE CONVICTION IS BASED UPON A RECORD WHOLLY DEVOID OF A CRUCIAL ELEMENT OF THE OFFENSE CHARGED, VIOLATING APPELLANT’S FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS UNDER THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND OHIO CONSTITUTION ART. I, SECTION 16.

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2025 Ohio 4871, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-toliver-ohioctapp-2025.