Ashli Ford cranks it up after failing to beat charges
Convicted podcaster comes out swinging after jury deadlocks
SANDUSKY —Anyone who thought for a moment Ashli Ford would go away quietly and lick her woulds after a jury failed to acquit her at her 12-count felony trial last month was greatly mistaken.
The convicted podcaster’s been busy protesting, advocating and stirring up a hornet’s nest of allegations and affirmations of her greatness since a jury deadlocked May 26 in her 12-count felony forgery and fraud trial.
Ford is accused of pulling off a forgery and mortgage fraud scheme that would have netted her $150,000, in all, if she had not defaulted on the loan last year. She used her former name, her ex-husband’s identity and false information to obtain $30,000 in COVID relief money in 2022, after she and her new husband failed to pay the mortgage for three years.
After the jury foreman said jurors were hopelessly deadlocked, Erie County Common Pleas Judge Beverly McGookey declared a mistrial and ordered a new trial. County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter said the state intended to retry the case, and McGookey scheduled a new trial for Sept. 28.
We win, sort of
Ford, her attorney, Peter Pattakos, husband Ezekiel, mentor Elsebeth Baumgartner, and her assorted band of misfit followers aren’t lamenting that the jury was unable to find her not guilty on any of the charges, which included forgery, identity and mortgage fraud, tampering with evidence and records violations. Instead they are doing victory laps, with Ford promoting the idea she won her case while continuing to celebrate her celebrity, promoting myths about her solving crimes, one after the other.
