VERMILION, OH — A Vermilion High School teacher has been indicted on 23 felony charges tied to an illegal gambling and money laundering operation that spanned several counties in Northeast Ohio.
Kristina Edmison, 47, was indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on March 21, facing charges including money laundering, illegal gambling, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, Ohio’s version of a RICO offense. If convicted on the most serious count, she faces up to 11 years in prison.
According to prosecutors, Edmison operated the gambling scheme alongside co-defendants Lee Edmison Jr. and Lee Edmison III, using shell companies and fake nonprofit organizations to disguise profits from illegal gaming machines and unlicensed bingo events. Among the entities falsely affiliated were the Ohio Junior Hockey Association and the Medina Youth Baseball Association.
The indictment details how the group ran a network of electronic bingo machines in at least 13 bars, using business names such as Modern Music & Games, K Zip Services and Repairs, and LJ Modern Properties LLC. These machines were promoted as charitable gaming devices, though they were operated purely for profit.
“The defendants and their agents were solely responsible for providing, maintaining and servicing those electronic gambling machines,” the indictment states.
In response to the charges, Vermilion Local Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hile informed Edmison on April 15 that she was being placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. Hile emphasized that while Edmison is presumed innocent, the allegations—if proven—would violate professional ethics and state law.
Authorities are also seeking to seize over $33,000 in cash, multiple bank accounts, vehicles, and real estate linked to the ring’s operations.
Edmison has entered a not guilty plea, and the case remains under investigation.
