Kristina Edmison, a teacher at Vermilion High School, has been indicted on 23 criminal charges, including felony counts of gambling, money laundering, and corruption. Prosecutors allege she was part of a multi-year illegal gambling operation involving unlicensed slot machines and the misuse of nonprofit bingo licenses.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury returned the indictment, which outlines a criminal enterprise stretching from 2018 to 2022. Edmison is accused of helping run a network of illegal gaming machines placed in at least 13 bars across Northeast Ohio. The charges include engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a first-degree felony under Ohio law and the state’s version of a RICO charge—a legal tool originally used to prosecute organized crime syndicates.
Additional charges include conspiracy, multiple counts of money laundering, operating illegal bingo games, and acting as an unlicensed bingo supply distributor. Edmison is named alongside co-defendants Lee Edmison Jr., Lee Edmison III, and three related businesses: Modern Music & Games, K Zip Services and Repairs, and LJ Modern Properties LLC.
According to court documents, the group used shell companies and fraudulent nonprofit affiliations to disguise the operation. Some of the nonprofits named include the Ohio Junior Hockey Association and the Medina Youth Baseball Association. Prosecutors say these entities were used to create the illusion of legal bingo operations while concealing gambling profits.
Authorities are seeking the forfeiture of more than $33,000 in cash, vehicles, and real estate allegedly connected to the criminal enterprise. Listed assets include property in Berea and Columbus, multiple business bank accounts, and vehicles used in transporting gaming equipment.
On April 15, Vermilion Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hile issued a letter relieving Edmison of her teaching duties with pay pending the outcome of the investigation. The letter, which Edmison signed after it was hand-delivered, instructs her not to return to school property or communicate with students or staff during the process.
The school district has not released any additional statements, citing the ongoing legal case.
If convicted on the most serious charge, Edmison could face up to 11 years in prison. Other felony counts carry significant potential sentences and financial penalties. The case is expected to move forward in Cuyahoga County Court in the coming months.
Edmison has not entered a plea and remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.