2015 Year-End Review
Prior to June 1, reputed local chop shop kingpin Joe Rosebrook was living and working in Florida.
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JOE ROSEBROOK |
CARL “JEFF” ROSEBROOK |
CHAD SOUTH |
His past included a 10-year sentence for conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, receiving stolen property, obstructing justice and concealing or altering a motor vehicle identification number.
He had been a “free” man since March 3, 2014.
But June 1 marked his return to incarceration when he, his brother, Jeff, and coconspirator Chad South were arrested for a 2006 botched murder-for-hire scheme.
New evidence led to a breakthrough for Geauga County authorities and they were able to obtain indictments charging the three men with two counts of aggravated murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, burglary and kidnapping in the May 26, 2006, shotgun slaying of Daniel Ott, 31, who was living in Burton Township south of Chardon.
Joe Rosebrook is accused of ordering a hit on convicted car thief Daniel Ott, who played a key role in the chop shop kingpin’s 2004 conspiracy to commit aggravated murder case.
The federal parolee had agreed to kill a witness in a pending racketeering case against the elder Rosebrook brother and took a down payment of $2,000 with a promise of $13,000 more when the deed was done.
Instead, the car thief went to authorities with the plan which led to Joe’s 2005 conviction.
Authorities say he continued to run his chop shop operation behind bars using a smuggled cellular phone.
Carl “Jeff” Rosebrook, a Perry Township trustee, who lives north of East Liberty, served as the money man and go-between in the 2006 hit order.
Mr. South and the elder Rosebrook became acquainted while sharing a cell in 2004 at the Logan County Jail and while incarcerated at London Correctional Institution.
The plan to kill car thief Daniel Ott was hatched between the two while in prison, prosecutors allege.
The hit man was given correct information on the Northeast Ohio location of the intended victim, but lost it.
He then went looking for information on his own and it led to the Geauga County man.
Early May 26, 2006, the gunman entered the victim’s residence wearing a mask. He bound the victim and his girlfriend with duct tape, but Mr. Ott broke free and struggled with the shooter before Mr. Ott was shot in the chest.
Geauga County authorities had no direction early in their investigation until a Logan County detective read about the killing and informed them about Daniel Ott, the federal parolee and witness against Joe Rosebrook.
Even with the tip, Geauga County detectives continually ran into potential witnesses too scared to talk.
Joe Rosebrook, 59, remains in the Geauga County Safety Center while Mr. South is lodged in the Lake County Jail.
Jeff Rosebrook, 57, is out on bond and scheduled to go to trial on Feb. 22.
Mr. South will follow on March 14.
Joe Rosebrook’s trial is set for April 4 at this point.