FirstEnergy is no longer listed as a victim in the House Bill 6 bribery criminal case after a Summit County judge dismissed two counts of aggravated theft against two of its former top executives.
Charles Jones and Michael Dowling are accused of paying $4.3 million in bribes to former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Chairman Sam Randazzo in a pay-to-play scheme.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross based her May 28 decision on the indictments, which alleged FirstEnergy agreed or consented to the $4.3 million payments but also accused Jones and Dowling of stealing the money, according to court records.
Because FirstEnergy either agreed or consented to the payments, prosecutors would not be able to prove that Dowling and Jones stole the money, the ruling read.
“The State cannot now turn around and claim that Defendants were acting beyond the scope of FirstEnergy’s express or implied consent,” Ross wrote in her May 28 ruling.
This means Jones and Dowling are no longer charged with stealing $4.3 million from FirstEnergy, but they still face over a dozen charges, including bribery, corruption, fraud, money laundering and tampering with records.
Steve Grimes, an attorney for Dowling, shared a statement via email on behalf of himself, John McCaffrey and Dan Webb, who are two other lawyers representing Dowling.
“We commend Judge Baker-Ross for doing what the prosecutors should have done a long time ago – taking a hard look at the facts without jumping to unsupported conclusions,” Grimes’ statement said. “This ruling is just one step in dismantling the false narrative that has surrounded this case. The house of cards upon which the allegations against Mr. Dowling are built is starting to crumble. We are confident that a full airing of all the facts will establish that everyone of the allegations is based on rushed conclusions, factual misunderstandings, and weaponized politics.”
A spokesperson for FirstEnergy declined to comment as the case is pending.
Ross heard arguments over whether the state could properly designate the company as a victim of its former executives in a November pretrial hearing. A trial on remaining charges Jones and Dowling face in the bribery case is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2026.
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Jones, former FirstEnergy CEO, and Dowling, who was the company’s senior vice president of external affairs, were also charged in federal court in January under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
In September 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil suit against Jones accusing him of misleading stockholders of the public company.
FirstEnergy previously admitted to bribing Randazzo and former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder. The latter was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2023. The utility agreed to pay a $230 million fine in 2021 as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors.
In 2024, FirstEnergy agreed to pay $100 million to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and $20 million as part of an agreement with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and Summit County Prosecutor’s Office.
Randazzo, who had pleaded not guilty to state and federal corruption charges, died by suicide in April 2024.
On April 21, a Franklin County Common Pleas judge signed an order compelling three former FirstEnergy lobbyists and an ex-senior executive of the utility to testify before the PUCO. The judge, Richard Brown, ruled that they will receive immunity from prosecution.
Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie.
This story has been updated with additional information.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Judge halts theft charges against ex-FirstEnergy officers Charles Jones, Michael Dowling
Reporting by Bryce Buyakie, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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