The Lima chapter of the NAACP wants to bring attention to what they call a systematic injustice in the criminal justice system in Lima.
The organization called a press conference to shed light on a particular case they claim African-American men are demonized. 30-year-old Jeff Fails, the nephew of NAACP president Ron Fails, is facing charges of kidnapping, robbery, and extortion, but claims he wasn't at the scene of the crime in question. According to Jeff, on a night in February, his friend Justin Meeks was involved in a hit and run. Meeks caught up with the man that hit him and confronted him. Jeff said he was at his home for a Superbowl party with eight other people.
"He let the prosecutor's office know, I never was present," Jeff Fails said. "We were supposed to meet with the detective in, I want to say, August. Never happened. Now, they're just now reaching out try and scramble around and get the case together. I've always plead my innocence and the people have it know that I never was even on the scene of this crime."
Allen County Prosecutor Juergen Waldick said his office does not comment on pending cases.
