ROSS COUNTY — A Chillicothe man accused of ethnic intimidation and aggravated menacing is scheduled to stand trial next week in Ross County Common Pleas Court.
Abraham Freygang was indicted in October 2025 on two counts of ethnic intimidation, both fifth-degree felonies, and two counts of aggravated menacing, both first-degree misdemeanors, according to court records. Prosecutors requested an arrest warrant following the indictment, and the warrant was returned as served by the Ross County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 10, 2025.
The alleged victim in the case has been identified as Richard A. Johnson II, who is currently incarcerated at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution.
The case drew renewed attention after a viewer raised concerns about a possible error in the Ross County Jail’s booking information. The jail listed Johnson as being booked under an ethnic-intimidation charge, but court records identify Freygang — not Johnson — as the defendant charged with ethnic intimidation.
Hopewell Heritage Headlines was also provided video purportedly connected to the incident. In the footage, a male alleged to be Freygang can be heard yelling racial slurs and accusing another individual of selling narcotics. The male is also seen holding what appears to be a shotgun and pointing it in multiple directions before the video abruptly ends.
The outlet said it has not independently confirmed the identity of the male depicted in the footage, and the video does not establish what occurred outside the recorded portion.
The trial is expected to begin next week in the Ross County Court of Common Pleas.