Updated on Dec. 11 to include statement from Violet Township administration.

December 10, 2025
By Rachel Scofield

On Dec. 10, a Fairfield County Grand Jury indicted Vanessa Niekamp on felony counts related to a fraudulent audit report that she allegedly submitted as director of the Pickerington Food Pantry to the United Way of Fairfield County.

The office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued the following statement:

The former executive director of the Pickerington Food Pantry was indicted today on felony charges after an investigation found that she falsified business documents, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Pickerington Police Chief Tod Cheney announced today.

Vanessa Niekamp, 55, of Pickerington, was indicted this morning in Fairfield County Common Pleas Court on charges of telecommunication fraud, a third-degree felony; identity fraud, a third-degree felony; and forgery, a fourth-degree felony.

An investigation by the Pickerington Police Department found that Niekamp, as executive director of the nonprofit, falsified grant submission forms by altering an audit report.

Niekamp is also a member of the Pickerington School Board and the fiscal officer for the Violet Township Trustees.

At the request of the Fairfield County Prosecutor’s Office, the Special Prosecutions Section of the Attorney General’s Office is handling the case.

Indictments are criminal allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

In July 2023, Niekamp allegedly submitted a fraudulent 2022 audit report to the United Way as part of a grant application. The report appeared to have been compiled by Siebert & Associates, CPAs as it was printed on an older version of the firm’s letterhead and included a copy of owner John Siebert’s signature.

However, Siebert said that he only learned about the report after a representative from the United Way contacted him regarding missing pages. See Police Investigate Food Pantry Audit

In August of 2025, Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa A. Schiffel serving as special prosecutor for the case, offered Niekamp a deal to plead guilty to “tampering” which is a first-degree misdemeanor.

However, after Chief Cheney publicly stated that his department had recommended felony charges, Schiffel removed herself from the case. The Attorney General’s office then became prosecutor. See Niekamp Charged with Tampering

Niekamp has not yet responded to a request for comment. Niekamp’s four-year term as fiscal officer for Violet Township runs through 2028.

Violet Township’s statement:

Violet Township administration has been notified that the Ohio Attorney General brought criminal charges against Violet Township Fiscal Officer, Vanessa Niekamp. We understand these indictments relate to prior charges that were filed and dismissed by the Delaware County Prosecutor, and do not involve actions by Ms. Niekamp in her role as the Township’s Fiscal Officer. 

Presently, Ms. Niekamp has been charged but not yet found guilty of any criminal offense. In the absence of a conviction or guilty plea to a felony, our Township lacks the legal standing to compel Ms. Niekamp’s removal as the Township’s duly-elected Fiscal Officer. 

Indictments are criminal allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. 

We anticipate the Board of Township Trustees may review these developments at a future meeting. Until then, we have no further comment at this time. 

As for her position with Pickerington Schools, Niekamp chose not to run for re-election and her current term expires at the end of December. The district has no school board meeting scheduled for the rest of the month, however “if needed” one could be scheduled for Dec. 15.

The district provided the following response:

It is our understanding that the charges stem from matters not related to the business of the Pickerington Local School District or Ms. Niekamp’s role as a board of education member.

As board members are independently elected officials and not district employees, the district is not in a position to comment on legal matters involving individual board members.

The district is focused on our mission of serving students, staff, and the community, and will continue to support teaching and learning across our schools.