ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — A Chillicothe man accused of ethnic intimidation and aggravated menacing is scheduled to stand trial next week in Ross County Common Pleas Court.
Court records show 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.
The alleged victim in the case has allegedly been identified as Richard A. Johnson II, who is currently incarcerated at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution.
The case came to the attention of Hopewell Heritage Headlines after a viewer raised concerns about a possible error in Ross County Jail booking information. According to information provided to Hopewell Heritage Headlines, Johnson — the alleged victim in the ethnic-intimidation case — was listed by the jail as being booked under an ethnic-intimidation charge.
Court records reviewed by Hopewell Heritage Headlines, with help from the community, however identify Freygang as the defendant charged with ethnic intimidation, not Johnson.
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.
Hopewell Heritage Headlines 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.
According to the court docket, prosecutors requested an arrest warrant following Freygang’s indictment. The warrant was subsequently returned as served by the Ross County Sheriff’s Office on December 10, 2025.
Following multiple proceedings throughout 2026, Freygang is scheduled for a status conference September 28, followed by a jury trial September 29 and 30 before Judge Michael M. Ater.
With the case now approaching trial, the allegations surrounding the confrontation are expected to be tested in court. The upcoming proceedings could also provide additional clarity regarding the circumstances of the incident, including the alleged use of racial slurs, the presence of a shotgun, and the unusual jail booking that initially listed the alleged victim under an ethnic intimidation charge.
The charges against Freygang remain allegations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
