Woman accused of fatally drugging men to rob them while meeting for sex

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio woman is accused of meeting men for sex and then fatally drugging them so that she could steal from them, prosecutors said.

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According to a news release issued Wednesday by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Rebecca Auborn, 33, of Columbus, was indicted on four counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, five counts of aggravated robbery, five counts of felonious assault, five counts of corrupting another with drugs, one count of tampering with evidence and four counts of trafficking in drugs.

All of the charges are felonies.

A Franklin County grand jury handed down the indictments on Wednesday.

Auborn was originally indicted on Sept. 11, WSYX-TV reported. According to a criminal complaint, she was accused of mixing fentanyl into a crack pipe, the television station reported.

Investigators said the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force received information that a woman was allegedly meeting men for sex in northeast Columbus and drugging them with the intention of robbing them, according to WKBN-TV.

That led to the current indictments; Auborn has been in jail since those were handed down.

Investigators alleged that Auborn drugged five men between Dec. 13, 2002 and June 17, 2023 — four fatally, Yost said.

The drugging allegations include:

• Victim 1, attempted overdose on Dec. 13, 2022.
• Victim 2, fatal overdose on Jan. 15, 2023.
• Victim 3, fatal overdose on April 1, 2023.
• Victim 4, fatal overdose on April 13, 2023.
• Victim 5, fatal overdose on 6/17/2023.

Investigators believe more victims may exist, WCMH-TV reported.

Wednesday’s indictments stem from an investigation by the Columbus Division of Police and special agents from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

“These indictments are a result of our close collaboration with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation,” Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant said in a statement. “The Columbus Division of Police remains dedicated to ensuring justice for all victims and their families affected by the actions of a single individual.”