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June 19, 2024 - Louder with Crowder
34:47
EXCLUSIVE: Murderer Groomed High School Girl into Sex in Jail; Massive Cover-Up
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I don't know what you people are doing, but you are, you're really part of the country.
We're asking, we're asking questions, man.
Sir, sir, I have nothing to say to you.
A student in your program got taken advantage of.
Sir, you got about five seconds to get off my phone.
If you're asking us to leave, we're leaving.
I'm definitely telling you to leave.
Not a problem.
This is private property.
We are asking questions as journalists.
We are not doing anything more than that.
We are simply asking questions as journalists.
We called you on the phone.
You are on private property.
You hung up the phone on us.
She would never be alone with a convicted criminal.
I know I chase you know where I am in my right here. This is my property. You don't care about a young girl
I don't care about your story. Who you were responsible for She was under your care, correct? No
She would never be alone with a convicted criminal Oh no, you just don't show her in that work I take care of
Just to be clear like we're talking like minor high school students will be alone with criminals in jail
Yeah, I mean they hire me and the reason why we do it is because they hired a 18
So they're getting experience before they become an adult?
I'm aware that if you're intent on doing something, it's almost impossible to stop.
As long as I've been here, I've had correctional officers engaged in sexual activity within a facility and been prosecuted.
We've sent people to prison for that.
And one thing I know is that if somebody is intent on doing something, it's very hard to stop it completely because you can move around, and while an officer is doing his rounds, you can step inside a cell for a very short period of time, engaged in some nefarious activity, like brain.
Something like that.
I believe the person is now 18.
There was, at all times in this particular incident, there was another officer in that pod.
I'm happy to answer any questions.
I'm AJ.
I'm the public relations coordinator here.
Public relations, okay.
Do you want to go?
Are you not available to speak?
Um, I would prefer to speak on behalf of the district.
So, as of last year, then, how did the program just end?
Is it the sheriff's office that stopped it?
Because from my understanding, the sheriff's office told me that after they learned of the incident, that they were the ones that stopped the program.
No, that's not something that I'm aware of.
That would be a question for the Sheriff's Office, if that's something that... I mean, are you aware that the Sheriff's Office is no longer... Well, I believe that we temporarily suspended it.
Hey, I can connect you down to his office.
However, we are on summer break, so... We really have a skeleton crew here right now.
We'll try...
I'm gonna try one more person.
Hold on.
The person at extension 4-1-1-7 is unavailable.
So no students- I can tell her that.
No students been assaulted through Butler Tech at the jail.
Correct.
Okay, well thank goodness, man.
So what happened with- Excuse me?
I can't speak on students.
I'll give you my email address, and you can send me an email with the particulars that you know.
I will go through the proper channels with Marshall Service Headquarters to see, you know, what information we can relay to you, but I also believe with very respectfully that you need to do a FOIA request asking information if there was an investigation done by the Marshall Service, you know, if, you know, something to that effect, what information I don't know if this jogs your memory at all.
Willie Attaway and Larkin McGowan are the federal inmates involved.
So there's a record of this.
Are those people you'd be familiar with?
Hardened criminals?
I have no comment, sir.
If you did follow me, you'll get received an email, and we are opening an investigation into this matter,
and we will coordinate you to approach and complete the investigation.
Are you able to confirm that you are not aware of this prior
to us inviting you down here?
We were not aware.
Well, what I can say is, based on what you guys advised us of on Friday, we are formalizing a written response that once it gets approval from Marshall Service Headquarters, I will forward to you.
Okay.
But outside of the official response, I want to say thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Thank you.
Marshals have opened an investigation into a massive cover-up within the Butler County, Ohio, jail.
And I know that exclusively because of our undercover unit and you, the supporting members of Mug Club.
Second, I'm going to let you know how this seemingly local story actually directly affects and impacts you and your community.
To start with, a 17-year-old girl was taking part in a school vocational program.
In which she spent time with violent federal inmates who proceeded to coerce and manipulate her into sexual acts and trafficking contraband.
Now how did this happen?
And who, if anybody, could have stopped it?
According to all of the information available, the incident was buried by both those in charge at the Butler Tech Justice Program, that's the vocational school, and the Butler County Sheriff's Department itself.
Why?
A wild guess would suggest that Butler County's not wanting to lose their multi-million dollar federal contract with the U.S.
Marshals could be a reason.
And I'm sure that 17-year-old girls being exposed to and left with violent federal inmates might reflect poorly on the publicly funded Butler Tech vocational program.
Key terms here being contracts and publicly funded.
Starting to see how this could happen in your community?
In any community?
I'll let you be the judge.
Starts with an internship involving the county jail.
With a minor.
Who was seemingly allowed free reign and was repeatedly left unattended with hardened criminals, including a convicted murderer.
As a result, a relationship developed between this minor female and two dangerous federal inmates.
Larkin McGowan, who committed every crime from drug abuse to aggravated robbery, and Willie Attaway Jr., a convicted murderer.
Subsequently, these two were able to effectively groom this girl into illegal acts and, of course, major violations.
of jail policy.
Mug Club only became aware of this incident because one brave whistleblower contacted us with leaked documents and details of the case.
Now, that would seem shocking enough.
We understand, though, that mistakes are often made, even harmful ones, unintentionally.
The inexcusable part is that once we began investigating, we were repeatedly stonewalled and outright lied to.
By both the Tech School and the Sheriff's Department.
These people knew about the incident.
They just didn't want anyone else to know.
You know who else didn't know?
The U.S.
Marshals.
Do you know how I know?
Because the local Chief Deputy directed us to them, claiming that the Marshals had been made aware.
And so, we made some phone calls.
It's a good thing we did.
The story you're about to hear is definitely disturbing for some viewers, but It's an important one.
March 1st, 2024.
Jane Doe, a female high school student, was interning as a correctional officer through this criminal justice program at Butler Tech, an alternative learning institution based in Hamilton, Ohio.
Now, we, of course, are not going to reveal the name of this person because she's a minor and she's a victim of the incompetency of her program's leadership and the jail's correctional staff within the Butler County Sheriff's Department.
According to Butler Tech's website, students on the criminal justice track will put on a uniform and uphold the law of the land with a future in criminal justice and explore all angles of law enforcement from police training to court proceedings, forensics and investigations to crisis response.
As part of the internship program, this Jane Doe was placed In the Butler County Jail.
Now, it should be noted until 2021, Butler County worked with ICE to house immigrants while their asylum cases were pending.
For the first time in about 17 years, Butler County Sheriff's Office will no longer work with ICE to jail immigrants.
The sheriff terminated the contract with the Department of Homeland Security this week.
WCPO 9 News reporter Courtney Francisco found out what this means for people held prisoner under the old contract.
Life inside Butler County Jail's immigrant quarters will change over the next 60 days, attorneys say.
Immigrants will get released.
Butler County received a hefty sum to do so.
In 2017, the marshals made a deal with the jail for $8.2 million over five years to house ICE detainees.
In 2017, WCPO's investigative team told you the federal government used taxpayer dollars to pay the jail about $8.2 million over five years to house ICE detainees.
After somewhere around 17 years, Butler County Jail ended their contract with the Department of Homeland Security, citing that federal officials continue to add unreasonable and cost-prohibitive mandates.
Now, our source indicated that the Butler County Jail now receives $10 million in federal funding to house federal inmates on behalf of the U.S.
Marshals.
We did find a 2014 contract agreement between the United States Marshals Service and the Butler County Jail signed by current Sheriff Richard Jones, which showed a deal totaling $8.4 million.
That means that when Jane Doe started her program, it was known She would be working in proximity with federal inmates, including, again, hardened criminals guilty of everything up to and including murder.
Now, while that may seem questionable, it could figuratively all have been done above board if all the proper procedures had been followed.
They were not followed.
And what happened as a result cannot be considered anything close to above board.
So according to our source, Jane Doe, a high school student, a minor at the time, was routinely left unsupervised in the facility with, again, hardened inmates.
For reference, here's a photo of where Jane Doe might have worked.
During her time in the program.
Now, this minor female, a girl, was then coerced over the course of her internship into smuggling contraband, including drugs, cell phones, and cigarettes.
However, that pales in comparison to what happened between Jane Doe, this minor female, and two inmates, Willie Attaway and Larkin McGowan.
Attaway is being held at Butler County for murdering the owner of a store during armed robbery.
A man pleads guilty to murdering a convenience store owner and five other armed robberies in all.
The robberies happening in Hamilton, Lebanon, Deerfield Township, Blue Ash and Madeira.
32-year-old Willie James Attaway now admitting To murdering the owner of the Madeira Beverage.
This was back in February of 2021.
And again, he pleaded guilty today.
It was one of the five places he robbed over a two-day period after Attaway killed this owner.
He then went on to rob two more convenience stores that very night.
He faces up to 45 years behind bars.
That's just the cherry on top of a long history.
Containing criminal drug charges, domestic abuse, you can read up on it.
Now, McGowan has a criminal history of violent crimes, including burglary, aggravated robbery, you know, the run-of-the-mill stuff.
According to our source, these inmates actively manipulated, groomed, and coerced Jane Doe into sexual acts, including not limited to sodomy.
These claims are supported by letters.
That we have obtained between Jane Doe.
And the inmates.
Now, the letters which we are about to show you were shared exclusively with the Mug Club Undercover Unit by one of our viewers.
And when I told you that Mug Club Undercover was going to be a huge part of the future here of Mug Club, that's exactly what I meant.
None of this is possible without you, Mug Club, our members.
If you want to help to continue and grow this movement, do consider joining Mug Club at louderwithcrowder.com slash Mug Club right now.
Use the promo code COVERUP for $20 off.
None of this happens Without you.
Let's take a look at some examples of the correspondence between the hardened federal inmates and young girl.
This one here reads as a masterclass in manipulation written by Larkin McGowan to Jane Doe.
It says, Baby, I apologize about earlier.
I just don't want you to f*** up what you got going on for one of these clowns.
Like I said before, talk too much. He already told everybody he got your
Instagram. It's cool to talk, but don't be too friendly, because n****s start thinking other
sh**. They think you talking to them means that you like them, and you my b****, so I
can't have that. And about what I asked you last week about the Newports, it's really
simple, babe. You won't get in trouble if you listen to me and do it the right way. You
can literally just put them in your bra until you get in. Here's another one. To Jane
Doe from Willie Attaway, aka Bear, a.k.a.
convicted murderer.
Bay, my name Bear.
I'm 32 years old.
I have no kids.
I'm from Cincinnati.
I grew up downtown.
I'm looking for someone I can build with, get to know, and start a future.
Someone that's for me, like I'm for them.
Someone I can call my person.
And Attaway writes like this for pages and pages, including, I just want to be as safe as possible and I really want to
build with you.
I'm not in this relationship to use you or hurt you.
Only time I'll hurt you is when we make love.
But it will be more pleasure than pain.
And if that weren't romantic enough, write down an address I can get at you at,
and that cash app so I can keep them nails and sexy ass feet done.
Let's turn up.
I'm not playing with you at all.
I'm locking you down.
You mine.
You my baby.
I'm your dude.
Write me back ASAP.
To my queen, from your king.
In one particularly graphic letter to Jane Doe, he writes, Make sure you write your phone number down on a small piece of paper, ball it up real small, and when you do your rounds, flick it in my cell.
My cellie is my homie from the streets, so we good, and you ain't gotta have no worries dealing with us at all.
It's the others you gotta be careful about.
So is you trying to be wifey or what?
Do you want to ride my f**ks and big d**k?
Can you handle 11 inches?
Another jam a list of get to know you questions from who we presume based on the Less than stellar handwriting is Larkin McGowan, reads...
2. How many dudes do you talk to?
3. Can you see yourself being with me when I get out?
4. Why you be entertaining these dumbass n****s in here?
5. What do you like most about me?
6. Do you s*** or c***?
7. Have you ever been in a relationship?
Have you ever been to Columbus?
8.
What's your favorite position?
P.S.
I was excited to see you today, and I'm a call tonight between 9 and 9.30.
And please stop accepting notes from these n****s. And the s*** I be doing in my cell and in the shower, you can't do that with other people, because you minds only.
Remember, Jane Doe is a minor.
A girl.
Of course, these acts couldn't go unpunished.
She was charged with multiple crimes, including a Class 3 felony.
Attaway Jr.
and McGowan?
They haven't faced any punishment yet, but there is an ongoing C-10 investigation, according to Chief Deputy Dwyer, and according to Ohio.gov, a C-10 violation in this case means that even if found guilty, the inmates could really face nothing more than a restriction of certain privileges for a designated period of time.
Justice is served.
So, in order to corroborate what the source had given us, we FOIA'd the incident report, as well as any communications between Jane Doe and the inmates.
We were successful with the incident report confirming a relationship between this girl, Jane Doe, and the inmates, but were denied the letters or any other forms of communication.
So, naturally, we had more than a few questions.
Namely, what kind of a program What kind of a publicly funded program would leave minors unattended with murderers?
We reached out to Butler Tech for answers, and what we got included a slew of contradicting answers across 24 separate phone calls.
First spoke with Butler Tech Secretary Lacey Holman, who assured us that under no circumstances would a minor ever be left alone in this kind of a situation.
So wait, so you said they do a tour, but they're not, she would never be alone with a convicted criminal.
Oh, thank God.
So, so I can promise her that there is never going to be a situation where she would be alone with some like hardened criminal.
Incorrect.
So what kind of safety measures you guys have in place?
Like, I think that's cool.
They get to see the jail and all, but like, obviously they would be like supervised by
is that someone from Butler Tech that goes with them on the jail tour?
Yeah, their criminal justice instructor goes and then normally there's one or two other
chaperones.
Incorrect.
We agree, these are children.
This is not what we would call taken care of.
So next, we reached out to the head of the program, Aaron Fitzgerald, who told us that while interns may, from time to time, be left alone, nothing bad has ever happened as a result.
Would a student ever be alone with a criminal in the jail?
Um... Yes.
If they're interning.
Yeah, I know.
Yeah, I mean, I select those students who are going to do the internships their senior year.
But, I mean, yes, they will be, I mean, those students who do the internship at a jail, they will be working in a full-fledged jail facility.
I appreciate it.
They'll be there with officers, but I mean, will there be times where you might be,
you know, alone with the inmate? I mean, that possibility exists.
Okay.
I mean, so I mean, I, you know, I mean, I'm just being real with you. I, you know.
I appreciate it. I mean, that's what I'm trying to, I'm just trying to put out the fire.
I mean, there's all going to be all kinds of paperwork, you know, before we do the
internships that they would have to sign. I mean.
Just to be clear, like, we're talking like minor high school students
will be alone with criminals in jail. Yeah. I mean, they have been the reason
why we do it because they hired 18.
So they're getting experience before they become an adult?
Why wouldn't you guys just... I mean and you know here's the thing I can kind of like I mean there's probably there's probably never been like an incident right?
Um, I mean... I mean, we... I mean, but... I can tell you that, but I mean, it's a jail facility, so things, you know... Things can happen, right?
But... Things happen, that's what happened in jail.
But no students ever died?
Can I tell her that?
Yeah, that's correct.
Anything, like, been assaulted?
Anything like that?
No.
Okay, good.
So no students... I can tell her that.
No students been assaulted through Butler Tech at the jail.
Finally, we spoke with Butler County Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer, who told us that not only were the interns left alone, but something bad actually did happen.
What was incorrect about what I had stated in my voicemail?
Once again, it's a pending criminal case.
The person in this case, the juvenile, has been charged.
Do you, did you know that?
Yeah, the juvenile was charged with, it was conveyance of a, you know, contraband essentially.
Yeah, that was the original charge.
And then there's an underlying discussion about the other physical things that went on in the facility with
this juvenile.
We then tried to get some answers, some help, from Hamilton High School, who shares a campus with...
with Butler Tech. Unfortunately, we got the runaround from HHS as well, until we were
finally called back by Principal Zari, who outright denied any affiliation.
Were you made aware of this situation?
The Butler Tech criminal justice program is not a satellite program here at our campus.
Seems cut and dry.
Except it was promptly contradicted by the Hamilton School Board.
Hey there.
I was just calling to see if y'all were affiliated with Butler Tech Vocational School.
Yes, there's like a program that the high school should take. Awesome.
There's one.
So my kid wants to do criminal justice.
I heard they got a great program there at Butler Tech.
Yes.
So now we have a harrowing hair-raising incident involving a girl, violent federal inmates, including a murderer, and the high school can't help.
Guess they're not responsible.
The tech school can't help.
Guess they're not responsible.
The local sheriff's department can't help.
I guess they're not responsible.
Maybe you could argue that since this involves federal prisoners under the supervision of U.S.
Marshals, they should be the ones to deal with it.
The big question that we had as we continued down this path is, did they even know?
When Chief Deputy Dwyer contacted my team on Monday, June 17th, he told us that he was almost positive the Marshals They knew.
Unfortunately, when we spoke with the very helpful, by the way, Assistant Chief Deputy U.S.
So the marshals, the kid, the kid's family?
You know, I can't confirm.
I'm almost positive that they spoke to the marshals and notified them of the incident.
Unfortunately, when we spoke with the very helpful, by the way, Assistant Chief Deputy
U.S. Marshal Melissa Duffy, who our source indicated was responsible for the inmates
she indicated that the marshals in fact did not know and as a result of now
knowing they were launching an investigation Two days later, June 17th, Duffy informed us that the U.S.
Marshals would be providing a written statement and assured us that they were taking the matter very seriously.
I just wanted to confirm that **** said that you weren't aware of this before we called or brought it to your attention, right?
Well, what I can say is, based on what you guys advised us of on Friday, we are formalizing a written response that once it gets approval from Marshall Service Headquarters, I will forward to you.
Okay.
But outside of the official response, I want to say thank you for bringing this to our attention.
And I mean, we are concerned, I can say that.
Yes.
And we understand the sensitivity of the matter, but, and hence why we are doing a written statement that is going, it's coming out between the Marshall Service here, Southern Ohio and Marshall Service headquarters.
Okay, great.
And as soon as I receive that as, you know, from my senior management here locally, which I am a part of obviously, we will forward it on and I will personally make sure that you receive it.
As of this recording, We are still waiting to receive the letter.
Now, during that same call, Dwyer also downplayed Jane Doe's status as a minor, and altogether the seriousness of the situation.
I don't know who you've talked to, but generally with a pending criminal case, we don't talk much about those.
I also want to make sure that things are accurate, that you're getting the right information and not, I'm assuming as a journalist, you're, you know, you want to have accurate information that you can report.
Yes sir, 100%.
Sir, 100%.
Right, and like I said, when I listen to the message, that's not accurate.
Can we talk off the record?
Are you truly, I don't really know you, so are you a journalist?
Everyone that's involved in this is aware.
Obviously the juvenile...
So the marshals, the kid, the kid's family...
You know, I can't confirm.
I'm almost positive that they spoke to the marshals and notified them of the incident.
I've been involved in this for quite a while in the jail, and I'm aware that if you're intent on doing something, it's almost impossible to stop.
As long as I've been here, I've had correctional officers engaged in sexual activity within
the facility and been prosecuted.
We've sent people to prison for that.
And one thing I know is that if somebody is intent on doing something, it's very hard
to stop it completely because you can move around and while an officer is doing his round,
you can step inside a cell for a very short period of time, engage in some nefarious activity
like bringing contraband in or something like that.
So it is difficult to stop that 100%.
This was a particularly alarming situation to us because of the age of the student in
question.
I believe the person is now 18.
Well, and that's what I mentioned to you earlier.
When somebody decides to go down that path, it's virtually impossible to stop it completely.
that that's not the case, but we can double check that.
Has there been any change to the policy?
Is there anything that's changed as far as supervisory roles inside the facility that
could prevent this sort of thing from happening again?
Well, and that's what I mentioned to you earlier.
When somebody decides to go down that path, it's virtually impossible to stop it completely.
The only information we have during the interview was a consensual encounter with an inmate.
We have the letters written between these two federal inmates, Larkin McGowan and Willie Attaway.
We know what went on, sir.
And if you have those, we would appreciate you sharing those with us because it might lead to the criminal case.
You have them too.
Letters between two inmates?
Yes, and the phone calls.
We understand there's video of her being sodomized by these men on her cell phone.
So you're telling me there was a guard in earshot of this?
There was at all times from my understanding of the investigation another officer inside I think there was another cell phone involved, and I don't believe that they authenticated any video of the actual incident occurring.
That's two separate issues.
There is a taped interview with her that is in court as we speak, where you have the whole interview of them talking to her.
At first she denies the allegation, and then she continues on to make other admissions.
And there is a full... that is taped.
And that is actually currently in the court system now.
There's a motion to suppress her statement, and it's...
They've had a first hearing and there's another hearing pending.
Who filed the motion to suppress her statement?
Excuse me?
Who filed the motion to suppress her statement?
Her attorney.
If somebody wants to come here so we can exchange that information or receive it, yes, we would take any information if it's relevant to the case.
Obviously we want to get to the truth of the matter and I believe at the time they did have her phone and they scanned her phone.
We have all that, so if there's something else, and I was aware of another video that I believe is unrelated, but yes, anybody, if somebody wants to bring information here and share it, I'd appreciate that.
Now, while we were in Butler County, my team also visited Butler Tech.
Unfortunately, the place was largely a ghost town with only a secretary who knew very little, but still looking for answers.
The Mug Club undercover unit visited the home of Butler Tech program lead Aaron Fitzgerald, And that is when the following exchange took place.
Yeah.
Hi.
Hello.
I was looking for Aaron Fischel.
Yes.
Who are you with, sir?
Louder with Crowder.
You're Louder with Crowder.
What's your name?
My name is ******.
You're ******.
What's your name?
I'm not going to give you a last name right now.
Again, Aaron, you're the one we're asking questions to.
Do not contact my cell phone again.
Okay.
Definitely do not come to my property again.
Okay.
Okay.
I don't know what you people are doing, but you are, you're really parking up the wrong tree.
We're asking questions, man.
Sir, I have nothing to say to you.
A student in your program got taken advantage of.
Sir, you got about five seconds to get off my property.
If you're asking us to leave, we'll leave, sir.
I'm definitely telling you to leave and not ever come back.
Not a problem.
Understood.
The nerve.
Is a private neighborhood.
It sounds out front.
I have no business being here.
Do not come back.
We will trespass.
You've already told me.
100% understanding.
You're the one who came off your property.
This right here.
No, I asked you a question.
Is private for your program?
This is private.
Asking questions is journalists.
We are not doing anything more than that.
We are simply asking questions as journalists.
We called you on the phone.
You are on private property.
You hung up the phone on us.
We're leaving.
You then chased us.
You are on... I know.
I didn't chase you nowhere.
I am in my right here.
This is my property.
Are you still running the program?
This is my property.
This is my property.
This neighborhood is completely private.
You have no business here.
My business was to come talk to you.
You asked me to leave and now we're leaving.
Your business is not to come talk to me.
Please do not contact me on my personal cell phone.
Do not ever come back to my house.
The story is coming out next week.
I don't care.
And that will take you from there.
Run the story.
I don't have anything to do with your story.
You don't care about a young girl in your program.
I don't care about your story.
You don't care about a young girl who you were responsible for.
She was under your care, correct?
No.
Do not ever come to my home again.
Understood.
So with all that, a lot of questions still remain.
Namely, all of them?
Including the ones that I'm sure are bothering you.
Is this program still ongoing?
And if it is, have any changes been made to ensure the safety of the students, people involved?
Who's in charge of the safety?
What changes have been made?
What accountability has taken place?
Who is actually in charge of running an investigation once an incident like this has already taken place and ensuring that it doesn't take place again?
Are you seeing how this could happen in any community across the United States?
Not just with this type of a program, but any publicly funded, taxpayer funded program.
It seems that anytime public funding or grants are involved, people have a vested interest in ensuring that that continues.
But where do you go as a taxpaying citizen for accountability, for answers, when your public servants aren't actually serving you?
Where do you go when your public servants are actually serving you up?
To predators.
And I don't use that term.
There's not a hint of hyperbole.
In this case, we're actually talking about minors with hardened, violent criminals.
We caught one.
How many more are there?
How could you possibly catch them?
Let me ask you this.
Who would have a vested interest in possibly catching these incidents?
And how can you be assured that that person has enough of a conscience to risk going upstream against the grain with everybody else who wants to ensure that it never sees the light of day?
Where do you go?
They're your tax dollars.
They're your daughters.
Sons.
Community members?
Who steps up?
Who do you go to?
That can happen anywhere.
And it still is.
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