Four Men Indicted in “Appalling” Assault & Robbery at Amish Home (UPDATE: Could Face Over 50 Years in Prison | UPDATE #2: Ringleader Pleads Guilty)
March 2026 Update: “Ringleader” Bradford Hosler has now pleaded guilty to two counts as part of a plea deal. Full update at bottom of post.
October brought news of an “appalling” attack upon an Amish family in Geauga County, Ohio. In it, an Amish man was brutally assaulted, and the culprits even attempted to abduct a young Amish boy (who fortunately somehow escaped.
Now the men suspected of involvement have been indicted by a grand jury, as reported at Cleveland 19.
The three men authorities believe actually carried out the crimes on-scene are William Hatfield, 44, Randall Crome, 36, and Bradford James Hosler, 33 – with Hosler as the “ringleader” (note: Hatfield’s and Crome’s ages had been reported differently in a prior report). They were indicted on:
- One count of aggravated burglary
- One count of aggravated robbery
- Three counts of kidnapping
- One count of theft
- Two counts of assault
During the invasion, this group allegedly Tasered and hit the Amish male victim with a crate, lacerating his face, threatening to kill him if he didn’t produce more money for them, also putting his eight-year-old son in a chokehold, and later attempting to kidnap him. Real tough guys.
The Fourth Man
The fourth man being indicted was not on the scene when the crimes happened, but probably had been there before – because he was a taxi driver who drove the Amish. Ricky Lee Martin, age 43, was indicted on the following charges:
- One count of complicity to commit aggravated burglary
- One count of complicity to commit aggravated robbery
- Three counts of complicity to commit kidnapping
- One count of having weapons under disability
Martin was the guy they believe “scouted” out potential targets among the Amish – their homes and businesses – all while they paid him to drive them here and there in the community.
On that note, there may be other victims of the robbery crew, enabled by Martin’s scouting work. If you used Martin as a driver and have also been victim to a theft or burglary-type offense, the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office would like to talk to you, so give them a ring at 440-286-1234. The vehicle description, in case that rings a bell: 2011 Chevy Suburban, color: silver, Ohio Registration JTD4357.
At the October press conference on the crimes, Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand referred to the perpetrators as “bad guys”, and that is probably putting it lightly. The next court date in this case has not yet been determined.
Update: Not Guilty Pleas; Courtroom Photo of Alleged “Ringleader”
More reports have come out since posting this yesterday. Allison Wilson at the Geauga Maple Leaf reports that all of the men pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. More on what the penalties, if the men are convicted, might be:
Rambo outlined the potential penalties for the charges. Aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping each carry a possible prison sentence ranging from three to 11 years in prison, up to a possible maximum of 16.5 years and a $20,000 fine per charge.
Felonious assault carries a possible prison sentence of two to eight years, with a maximum of 12 years and a $15,000 fine. Theft carries a maximum sentence of six to 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine. Assault carries a maximum possible sentence of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine per each charge.
If my math is right, if convicted on all of these and receiving the maximum, that could be well over 50 and closer to 60 years in prison. The above-noted Rambo, by the way, is not the film character, but Common Pleas Judge Matt Rambo.
That report provides more details from the proceedings, including the fact that Hatfield has two out-of-state felony robbery convictions, which apparently could mean mandatory prison terms on a number of the counts.
They also provide a photo of Hosler, the alleged “ringleader”, in court:
Hosler, Hatfield, and Crome are being held on $750,000 cash or surety bond, while Martin, the taxi driver, has a bond of $500,000.
Update #2: The Ringleader Makes A Plea Deal
The group’s ringleader, Bradford Hosler, has pleaded guilty to two counts . WKYC provides the March 19 update:
GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio — Bradford Hosler, one of four men indicted for their alleged roles in a violent robbery against an Amish family in Middlefield Township that involved physical assault, stun guns and threats against an 8-year-old child last year, has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in Geauga County.
According to court documents, Hosler agreed to plead guilty to one count of aggravated robbery and one count of kidnapping. The case is being reviewed by the Geauga County Probation Department for a presentence investigation and report. A sentencing date has not been set.
You would suppose that in pleading guilty to these two counts, other charges – he had seven total – have been dropped. No word on what potential punishment he might face.
There is also no news on the other three men charged in the case. I’d imagine it’s likely they will come to some sort of arrangement too, or at the least the two other men who did the actual home invasion and robbery would.
The fourth man, taxi driver for the Amish Ricky Lee Martin, might have a different approach, since his role in the crimes, in scouting out locations for robbery, was different from the other three. Or not. We shall see.
not this taxi driver
One of the things that has always astonished me about the Amish is how deeply they trust their taxi drivers.
When I began driving Amish full-time ten years ago, I was regularly invited to stay overnight in their homes. At times, I was even left alone in their houses while they attended weddings or funerals. Early on, I asked how they could possibly be comfortable with that. They barely knew me—how could they trust me with their home, their belongings, even their children nearby?
Their answer was simple: they trusted the judgment of the people who had hired me. If someone they trusted trusted me, that was enough.
I asked if they had ever had drivers steal from them. They said yes.
I asked why, then, they continued to extend that same trust to complete strangers. Why not ask drivers to wait in their vehicles or find somewhere else to go, even for the day? I had done that many times myself.
Their response caused me to reflect.
If someone steals from us, they said, then they must need it more than we do. Everything we have belongs to God anyway. We are only caretakers.
I’ve had drivers steal from me. I’ve heard countless stories of drivers who were dishonest, careless, or unprofessional—yet they continue to be hired. Even though in many communities there is a driver shortage and limited options, I believe the answer runs deeper than that.
The Amish believe everything they have comes from God, so what they have isn’t really theirs anyway. If it is taken, they let it go.
There is an old Amish saying: To return good for good is human. To return good for evil is divine.
I don’t know many people who hold such a belief anymore.
Indictments In Home Invasion
Hi, Haley . . . Wow!! Must admit, I had no idea of how the Amish view their “possessions”. But have you ever asked an Amish person if they worry about being victimized personally, say a physical assault?? If so, what was there response?? I could never just stand by and let people steal from me nor assault me physically. . . It happened to me in 9th grade (1983) . . . as I’ve been taught to contact authorities right away. I know many Amish say they’d prefer to “die as defenseless Christians” rather than raise a hand to someone in anger . . . I guess that makes the Amish better than me?? Still, in the Ohio home invasion case, I hope the judge ‘throws the book’ at all of them. Otherwise they will continue their evil/ illegal ways. And next time, someone could be killed. Sounds like these four men are completely ruthless.
Some
K.D. No, the Amish aren’t better than you – they strive to live according to God’s plan as they see it. Just because it’s different doesn’t make it better. I’ve had to defend my children before and felt no guilt about it.
The Amish aren’t taught to call the authorities as we view it because their only authority is God – that is who they honor, worship, and obey.
Yes, I have asked the Amish if they worry about being victimized personally, or even if they would stand by and watch their wife/child/parent be victimized. Some gave me no answer, some said they would allow themselves to be victimized, and others said they’d defend themselves and their loved ones.
Great thoughts!
Reply
I can’t imagine flexing money that isn’t even mine—and I wouldn’t do it even if it were. Doing something reckless like that in public, knowing cameras are everywhere, just shows a lack of respect and accountability. It’s not about being clever or tough; it’s about poor choices and no concern for consequences.
What really bothers me is that grown men make these decisions knowing younger people are watching. Some of them probably have kids who may grow up thinking this kind of behavior is normal. In the end, it always comes down to personal choice, but it becomes much easier to choose wrong when the people around you normalize it. When you get used to what’s wrong, doing wrong starts to feel easier than doing right.
That’s why so many people feel like the world is getting worse every day. It isn’t because of a president, Democrats, or Republicans. While leadership can affect us financially, it doesn’t decide the moral choices we make as citizens. No one is forced to steal, hurt others, or glorify wrongdoing because of politics.
What actually makes the world a worse place is the loss of respect, accountability, and pride in earning what we have through hard work. The choices we make—and the behavior we allow the next generation to witness—matter more than any political debate. Society reflects what people are willing to accept, excuse, and repeat.
faith over fear
Well said, Daniel. What people are willing to tolerate often becomes what takes root.
From my years of working closely with the Amish, I’ve noticed a key difference in how they approach life. Many people in the modern world act out of fear—fear of loss, fear of scarcity, fear of being taken advantage of. The Amish, by and large, don’t seem to operate from that place. They act from faith.
Their trust is not primarily in systems or safeguards, but in God. They believe that if they are faithful to His teachings—as they understand them—then all will ultimately be well. If not fully in this life, then in the next, which is what matters most to them.
That doesn’t mean harm doesn’t happen. It does. But their response to wrongdoing is shaped less by fear and more by a belief that integrity, accountability, and eternal perspective matter more than control or retaliation.
Additional insight
Thank you Haley Straw for your posts and explanations about how you have heard and understood the Amish to react under certain situations. Your explanations help me understand the thinking in the Amish mind as they make their decisions in life. Especially your comment that their response to wrongdoing does not involve trying to take control of the situation or retaliation. Many probably see involving law enforcement and the justice system as trying to take control, which is a form of retaliation in their minds, so they simply commit things into the hands of God, the Almighty and final judge.
They are watching!
Very true that there are always eyes watching in the Amish communities. On a couple occasions I have tried to leave items anonymously at the homes of amish friends while they were at church. Both times and both homes I have received a call later in the day thanking me for the items. One explained that their neighbor saw my vehicle pull in and the other had a community member who had a family member feeling under the weather (reason for not attending church) had seen my vehicle travel thru town! We laughed at my inability to pull any “Secret Santa” on anyone in the community. Someone is always watching!