It includes a charge that he failed to pay the state $40,000 in sales taxes he collected at his now-shuttered Perrysburg restaurant. If convicted, he could face up to 4 years in prison.
According to Andrew Z, he and Clear Channel Communications worked out a mutual agreement that he will be off air as this case moves forward. He did not report to work Wednesday morning and said he doesn't know when he'll be back.
"If it wasn't my life, I'd think it was a movie," says Andrew Z.
Wood County prosecutor Paul Dobson says, "It's our job to prosecute criminal conduct and that's what we're going to do."
Morning radio show host Andrew Zepeda was indicted Wednesday afternoon by a Wood County grand jury on three felony charges: complicity to breaking and entering, theft, and failure to remit sales tax.
The first charge is related to the October break-in at a Levis Commons property. That location was previously "Andrew Z's Pizzeria." Dobson says, "He assisted or aided in having the breaking and entering happen."
The restaurant the radio host owned was shut down a few weeks before because police say Andrew Z fell behind on his rent. Dobson says, "He'd been effectively evicted by the Levis Commons folks so that wasn't his property anymore."
The final two charges are related to sales taxes Zepeda collected at his restaurant, but allegedly failed to pay the state. The prosecutor says it totals $40,000. Dobson says, "It's not his property to keep. It's actually the state's property from the beginning."
Adding to the bizarre nature of the case, Zepeda called a news conference before the indictments came down maintaining he had nothing to do with the break-in. Andrew Z says, "The Perrysburg police have targeted me. They've been on a witch hunt to smear my name and find evidence to link me to this case, which I have nothing to do with." He adds, "Perrysburg is a quiet community and I'm not a quiet guy. I do things my own way. We went in there, had the restaurant. I just think it's a 'teach him a lesson' mentality."
The Wood County prosecutor says authorities are treating the radio personality like any other citizen. Dobson says, "We have gone where the evidence has taken us. That's exactly what our job is to do. We're not going to not prosecute somebody because they feel that they are a celebrity."
Andrew Z is scheduled to be arraigned on December 10. Two other men were indicted on charges related to that October break-in. One is Andrew Z's uncle, Paul Zepeda. He is out on bond. Andrew Z's friend, David Wright, is in custody at the Wood County justice center. Wright is scheduled for arraignment on Nov. 24.
