A Cincinnati-based federal immigration officer has a history of violence against his partner, Hamilton County Prosecutors alleged Friday during his arraignment on assault, domestic violence and strangulation charges.
Cincinnati Police arrested Samuel Saxon Dec. 5 after a witness said they saw him put a woman who is living with him in a chokehold. A complaint filed in Hamilton County courts notes responding officers observed "visible injuries" on the neck of the alleged victim. A neighbor said Saxon was screaming at the woman and trying to drag her into their Corryville apartment, according to prosecutors. That neighbor recorded audio of part of the incident.
The woman Saxon is accused of choking isn't cooperating with the case, officials say, but the neighbor took an audio recording of the incident from their apartment. Both witnesses have been subpoenaed by the court for a Jan. 5 hearing.
Saxon pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday. During his arraignment, Saxon's attorney Tad Brittingham pointed out Saxon has no prior criminal record. Brittingham said the alleged victim has reached out to him multiple times and didn't seem to have injuries during a video meeting the two had Wednesday.
"I did not see any physical bruising or anything of that nature," Brittingham told the court. "She also sent me a photograph and there were none present. The allegations are from Friday night, Saturday morning, and there were no injuries evident on Wednesday."
Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Melinda Rinehart acknowledged that the woman Saxon is accused of choking isn't cooperating with the prosecution. But she says there is evidence of a pattern of behavior on Saxon's part, necessitating a high bond.
"She was only 18 years old when they started dating, and he was in his 40s," Rinehart said, alleging the victim is financially dependent on Saxon.
"It does not surprise me that she's been in contact with council trying to dismiss the charges," she said. "However, as you all know, sometimes we have to protect the victims from themselves as well as the defendant. I believe this is one of those times."
Rinehart told the court Saxon and his partner moved to Cincinnati about a year and a half ago. Since that time, Cincinnati Police had been called to the two places they've lived 23 times, she said. During one incident in August, police were called to their residence due to reports of an altercation.
"Cops were out there twice within several hours for him reportedly assaulting her, pushing her and grabbing her hair," she said. "He was not arrested."
Prosecutors say one incident in April resulted in a broken pelvis for the woman, though no charges were filed against Saxon. And the history of violence stretches back further, according to Rinehart.
"There are multiple incidences," she told the court. "I have another one from when they lived out of state where her nose was broken. She had to have surgery to fix her nose. That was back in 2018 in Virginia."
Rinehart suggested there might be mental health issues at play in asking for a higher bond. She mentioned another out-of-state incident in which police responded to an altercation between the two in which Saxon was found in his bathroom pressing a knife to his own neck.
Prosecutors told the court that Saxon currently is suspended from his role as assistant field office director of the ICE ERO Cincinnati suboffice. A 2016 post on the Department of Homeland Security's website shows a man named Samuel L. Saxon, who resembles the defendant, receiving the department's Meritorious Silver Service Medal.
WVXU has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment and to request Saxon's personnel file. A reporter also has requested records of any previous incidents Cincinnati Police responded to involving Saxon.
Saxon received a $400,000 straight bond Friday. If he posts bail, he'll be required to wear an electronic monitoring device, avoid possessing firearms and stay away from the alleged victim.
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