LISBON — A new status hearing was scheduled for 11 a.m. June 26 in the criminal case against Amanda M. Kiger and the nonprofit she founded, River Valley Organizing, for the alleged theft of charitable donations for personal use.

The new date was set during a status hearing Friday.

Kiger, 52, Center Street, East Liverpool, was in attendance for her individual criminal case and as the representative of River Valley Organizing. She was accompanied by her defense attorney, T. Robert Bricker.

The state was represented by Associate Assistant Attorney General H. Lee Crumrine, who works for the Ohio Attorney General’s office.

During the hearing, Bricker was advised by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam to provide the state with a flash drive for the download of the discovery materials. for his review. She remains out of jail on a $100,000 recognizance bond.

Kiger was indicted for multiple charges related to theft as executive director of the organization and related to her alleged theft of unemployment benefits and failure to file state income tax returns during the same period.

The charges against Kiger include third-degree felony aggravated theft, second-degree felony telecommunications fraud, four counts of fifth-degree felony filing incomplete, false and fraudulent returns, fourth-degree felonies of grand theft and falsification in a theft offense and third-degree felony telecommunications fraud.

The indictment against River Valley Organizing, in care of Kiger, included one count of aggravated theft, a third-degree felony, and one count of telecommunications fraud, a second-degree felony.

When asked about charging an organization for criminal charges, a spokesman for the Ohio Attorney General said previously that he couldn’t talk about the specifics of this particular case, but said it’s been done before in other cases, pointing out that a judge could order restitution in this type of case against an organization.

According to the indictments, the thefts occurred from Feb. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2024, when Kiger solicited and accepted contributions of funds from various donors to River Valley Organizing for charitable purposes and “misused such funds for personal purposes and her own financial benefit.” The amount was listed from $150,000 to less than $750,000.

The charge for telecommunications fraud said she misused the funds for personal purposes and her own financial benefit “through a series of financial transactions and transfers completed via telecommunications networks.” The value of the benefit obtained was listed as $150,000 or more but less than $1 million.

Regarding the other charges against Kiger, she allegedly obtained $17,346 in unemployment benefits from the state by making false statements to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in her application and claims for unemployment benefits from April 2, 2021 through May 12, 2022. She allegedly failed to file annual state income tax returns in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

A press released issued when the indictments first came out said River Valley Organizing was incorporated in 2020 and “describes itself as a citizen-based group working for a ‘safer and cleaner Ohio River Valley,’ advocating on various social and environmental issues.”

The state attorney general’s Charitable Law Section investigated the case and is prosecuting it.

Also still pending against Kiger is a misdemeanor domestic violence case in county Municipal Court, with a pretrial set for June 3. She remains out of jail on a $5,000 recognizance bond and was told to have no contact with the victim.

An East Liverpool police affidavit alleged that the evening of April 4, an officer was advised of an open 911 line pinging at a Center Street residence and a woman could be heard screaming. Officers were advised multiple calls were made. Once on the scene, officers spoke to a man who alleged Kiger struck him in the face with her knee and that he regularly stays with her, the affidavit said.

mgreier@mojonews.com