SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AVC News) — A 35-year-old South Euclid man was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to organized crime and theft charges involving more than $104,000 in merchandise stolen from farm-supply stores across 10 Ohio counties.
Byron Carner pleaded guilty Monday in Clark County Common Pleas Court to one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and eight counts of theft. He was sentenced immediately following the plea, according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.
Investigators said Carner stole more than $104,000 in merchandise, primarily tools, from Rural King stores between June and October 2024. He then sold the stolen items at pawn shops.
The thefts occurred in Belmont, Clark, Gallia, Greene, Huron, Jefferson, Knox, Medina, Sandusky and Union counties.
Carner and two suspected accomplices were arrested Oct. 2, 2024, following a vehicle pursuit involving the St. Clairsville Police Department, Belmont County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Carner is currently serving a prison sentence in connection with another case. The cases involving his suspected accomplices remain pending in Clark County Common Pleas Court.
The German Township Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The Clark County Prosecutor’s Office prosecuted the case, with Wilson serving as a special prosecutor.
Last Updated on November 2, 2026 by AVC News
