On Wednesday in Municipal Court, 22-year-old Cody Buffenbarger of Springboro was charged by the Greene County Prosecutor’s office with falsification, which is a first degree misdemeanor in connection with an incident in late June at the Glen Helen Nature Preserve.
Buffenbarger has admitted to police that he falsely reported that a man with a gun was walking around cabins at the Outdoor Education Center with a gun.
Several law enforcement agencies responded to the alleged false report and spent hours looking for the gunman. Antioch College, WYSO's license holder, was also placed on lockdown while the search was underway.
Parents were called to come pick up their children who were attending camp activities at the Glen. Buffenbarger was a camp counselor at the time.
The prosecutor's office says a felony charge could have been imposed but nearly $3,000 in restitution has been made to cover the costs incurred by law enforcement.
Buffenbarger will be arraigned on August 23 at 8 a.m.and is facing up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The prosecutor's office however, is recommending a suspended sentence and community service only.