State of Ohio v. Rico Williams

2025-Ohio-5309 · Ohio Court of Appeals, Fifth Appellate District, Delaware County · November 24, 2025 · No. 25 CAA 01 0009

Summary

The Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals affirmed Rico Williams's convictions, including possession of a fentanyl-related compound. The court held that the evidence, including Williams's recorded admission and laboratory identification of fentanyl, was legally sufficient and that the conviction was not against the manifest weight of the evidence.

Holdings

  1. The evidence was legally sufficient to support Williams's conviction because his recorded admission established knowing possession and identified one of the drugs as fentanyl, while laboratory testing confirmed the presence of a fentanyl compound.
  2. R.C. 2925.11(C)(9)(a) did not preclude Williams's conviction because subsection (C)(9)(b) applies when the offender knows or has reason to know that the substance contains a fentanyl-related compound, and Williams admitted that one of the baggies contained fentanyl.
  3. The conviction was not against the manifest weight of the evidence because the jury did not clearly lose its way or create a manifest miscarriage of justice.

Questions Presented

  1. Whether the evidence was legally sufficient to prove that Williams knowingly possessed a fentanyl-related compound in violation of R.C. 2925.11(A) and (C)(11)(d).
  2. Whether Williams's conviction for possession of a fentanyl-related compound was against the manifest weight of the evidence.
  3. Whether R.C. 2925.11(C)(9)(a) precluded a fentanyl-related-compound conviction because the tested sample was not tested for marijuana.

Disposition

affirmed

Cases Cited (10)

  • State v. Worley, 2021-Ohio-2207(followed)
  • State v. Jenks, 61 Ohio St.3d 259, 574 N.E.2d 492 (1991)(followed)
  • State v. Smith, 80 Ohio St.3d 89, 102, 684 N.E.2d 668 (1997)(limited)
  • Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979)(followed)
  • State v. Lang, 129 Ohio St.3d 512, 2011-Ohio-4215, 954 N.E.2d 596, ¶ 219(followed)
  • State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 386-387 (1997)(followed)
  • State v. Smith, 1997-Ohio-355(limited)
  • Tibbs v. Florida, 457 U.S. 31, 42, 102 S.Ct. 2218, 72 L.Ed.2d 652 (1982)(followed)
  • State v. Martin, 20 Ohio App.3d 172, 175, 485 N.E.2d 717 (1983)(followed)
  • Seasons Coal Co., Inc. v. Cleveland, 10 Ohio St.3d 77, 80 (1984)(followed)

Cited In (0)

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