PICKAWAY COUNTY, OH — July 14, 2025 — A South Bloomfield man who triggered a massive law enforcement response with a fabricated hostage report has been sentenced to prison. Jeffery Corby, 44, was found guilty this week of Inducing Panic, a felony, and was sentenced to 12 months behind bars.
The incident unfolded on Saturday, January 18, 2025, when Corby called 911 claiming that a man with a gun was holding a woman hostage in a black pickup truck parked outside the Ohio State Highway Patrol post just south of South Bloomfield along U.S. Route 23.
In response to the alarming call, law enforcement agencies launched a full-scale emergency operation, shutting down U.S. 23, deploying helicopters, drones, and tactical negotiators, and surrounding the area in anticipation of a potential active threat. However, after about an hour of investigation, officials confirmed the entire report was false…