Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said he’s looking into several options to halt fundraising efforts for Rodney Hinton Jr., the man accused of intentionally running over and killing Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson earlier this month.
During a Tuesday press conference, Yost condemned several online fundraisers for Hinton Jr.’s family, some created by the family members themselves.
“We shouldn’t be crowdfunding an evil-doer,” Yost said.
Keep scrolling to watch the full press conference.
Citing so-called “Son of Sam” laws, which bar people from profiting off their own story if it stems from a violent crime, Yost called on Ohio lawmakers to pass a law barring crowdfunding for criminal defendants.
“There’s constitutional rights to have a defense against a crime, and the city of Cincinnati and the county of Hamilton County and the state of Ohio are going to provide an indigent defendant with the resources to do that if they’re unable to provide it for themselves,” Yost said. “That’s different than going out on the street and using technology to crowdfund nationally. I think it’s a horrible use of the charitable system, and I’m against it.”
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Several fundraisers associated with Hinton Jr. are active on the crowdsourcing website GiveSendGo, a competitor to the popular crowdsourcing site GoFundMe. GoFundMe removed fundraisers related to Hinton Jr. after receiving pressure from Ohio’s law enforcement community, which Yost said was consistent with GoFundMe’s company policy. Yost wants GiveSendGo to follow suit as Hinton Jr.’s immediate relatives continue to raise tens of thousands of dollars on the platform.
“I think it should be the policy of Ohio that crowdfunding platforms are not permitted to raise money on the backs of a notorious, disgusting crime,” Yost said.
How much has been raised for Rodney Hinton Jr.?
The main fundraisers related to Rodney Hinton Jr. have raised nearly $100,000 in recent weeks. Key Hinton, Hinton Jr.’s sister, has raised $50,000 on GiveSendGo to “help my brother and family with any decisions that need to be made,” according to the fundraiser description. The URL for Key Hinton’s fundraiser says “RodneyJrlegalservices,” suggesting that some funds may go towards his privately-hired attorney, Clyde Bennett. Hinton Jr.’s wife, Anna Booker-Hinton, has raised nearly $48,000 on GiveSendGo, which she specifies will go towards “legal fees and support for his children.”
“I am now trying to provide a stable, secure environment for our children as we navigate this nightmare,” Booker-Hinton’s fundraiser blurb reads. “I am humbly asking for your help in two crucial ways: 1. Donations for Rodney’s legal fees and support for his children. 2. Prayers and peaceful support.”
Zachary Gottesman, the attorney representing Deputy Henderson’s family, questioned the honesty of these fundraisers, saying there’s “no accountability” for how GiveSendGo funds are distributed.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, they’re not under oath when they write those blurbs on GiveSendGo,” Gottesman said. “I guarantee you this money is not being used for criminal defense dollars.”
Users who search Hinton Jr.’s name on GiveSendGo will find several questionable fundraisers that appear to be copycats of official fundraisers from the family, but those have raised little to no money.
Hinton’s family is also raising money for matters related to the death of their 18-year-old son Ryan Hinton, whose shooting death by a Cincinnati Police officer allegedly sparked the chain of events leading to Hinton Jr. allegedly killing Deputy Henderson.
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A fundraiser on GoFundMe has raised more than $80,000 for “seeking justice for Ryan in the form of legal representation and a proper memorial for his life.” Yost said fundraising efforts for costs related to matters of Ryan Hinton’s death are different than the fundraisers for his father, Hinton Jr.
“This is two separate cases,” Yost said. “If there’s a website, if there’s a funding page for him to help with his funeral expenses, to help his family, that’s a different kind of thing than what we’re talking about here today. Why all of us are here is because his father used his motor vehicle as a deadly weapon and killed a man who had nothing to do with this.”
Gottesman said Rep. Cindy Abrams (R) is one state legislator who is working on a bill that would limit crowdfunding options for those accused of a violent crime.
Watch the full press conference below:
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This article appears in May 14-27, 2025.