United States of America v. Whitney Lancaster
Feb 22, 2022OUTCOME: Not Guilty
On Feb. 22, a federal jury acquitted our client, former Columbus police officer Whitney Lancaster, who was accused of one count of conspiracy to violate an individual's civil rights. This offense carri ... ed a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison. The five-day trial began Feb. 14 before Judge Sarah Morrison in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Jurors began deliberations on Friday afternoon and reached their verdicts Tuesday. Lancaster was a detective with the vice unit at the Columbus Division of Police. He was accused of participating in the arrest of a strip club owner who was found in possession of cocaine. The FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force had identified the arrest as part of a broader investigation into police corruption. Lancaster had also been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, but that count was dismissed before trial.
