A Stark County man and the nonprofit organization he founded have been indicted on allegations they stole approximately $375,000 in charitable donations over a three-year period, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced Wednesday.
According to the attorney general’s office, 41-year-old Jamar Fleming and Agape Ministries, a Canton-based nonprofit, were indicted in Stark County Common Pleas Court on felony charges of aggravated theft and telecommunications fraud.
Prosecutors allege that between June 2022 and May 2025, Fleming diverted donated funds for personal use while serving as the organization’s CEO and pastor. Agape Ministries operates mentorship programs for at-risk youth in Canton.
In addition to the theft-related charges, Fleming is accused of failing to file income tax returns for tax years 2022, 2024 and 2025. He is also charged with filing an incomplete, false and fraudulent tax return for 2023, according to the indictment.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Charitable Law Section conducted the investigation. The Stark County Prosecutor’s Office appointed the section to prosecute the case.
Court records regarding arraignment dates were not immediately available.
An indictment is a criminal allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
