August 23, 2004
Columbus Daily Reporter

Bureau of Workers' Comp in concealed carry PAC's crosshairs

The political action committee, Ohioans For Concealed Carry is accusing the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation of discriminating against Ohio gun-owners and spreading politically driven anti-gun rhetoric.

The source of OFCC's beef is an article that ran in the Summer 2004 edition of Workers' Comp Quarterly, published by BWC.

OFCC spokesman Chad Baus said several paragraphs "addressing conceal-carry law and workplace safety" were misguided and false.

Rick Burson, the contributing writer who authored the article wrote: "Because of the risk of injuries caused by mishandled firearms or intentional acts of violence, the workplace should be added to the list of places where firearms cannot be carried."

Burson also quoted BWC special investigator and security director Tom Wersell as advising "business owners to develop a clear and concise policy informing employees and visitors, that carrying a concealed weapon is prohibited on company property. This is one more way to provide a safe environment both for your workers and your customers," Wersell said.

Baus referred to these statements as "very poor advice" that would lead workplaces to be less safe.

This bank chain is one of several hundred unsafe businesses listed on OFCC's Do Not Patronize While Armed database.

August 24, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

It was a bad day for Fifth Third Bank, with three of its branches across Columbus hit by bandits yesterday, the FBI and police said.

The robberies began about 9:40 a.m., when a man entered the Fifth Third at 1340 Bethel Rd., asked for coin-roll wrappers and then told the teller he was robbing the bank.

The teller gave him money from the drawer and the robber fled. No weapon was seen, the FBI said.

The next Fifth Third to be robbed was at 180 E. Broad St. Downtown. At 12:54 p.m., a man gave a teller a note demanding money.

The man fled with the money and no weapon was seen.

The third robbery happened at 1:33 p.m., when a man entered the Fifth Third Bank at 809 S. High St. in German Village, and gave a teller a note demanding money. Again, no weapon was seen and the man left with money.

"We don’t know if they are related or not," FBI agent Harry Trombitas said.

Authorities wouldn’t say how much money was taken in any of the robberies.

Columbus has had 38 bank robberies this year, detectives said.

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