Man accused of making alarming statements against P&G in Cincinnati indicted

CINCINNATI — The man accused of forcing P&G Headquarters in Cincinnati to close its doors on Wednesday morning has been indicted in Hamilton County.

Benjamin Wood was indicted on two counts of inducing panic. If convicted on all charges, he could face a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

Authorities said Cincinnati Police were contacted by the Kenton County Sheriff’s Office about concerning statements by Wood against Proctor and Gamble. One statement made was that he was going to “shut down the world via Cincinnati tomorrow,”

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According to a press release from Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters, Wood used to be employed by Proctor and Gamble and was let go in 2021.

Law enforcement said Wood had access to firearms.

As a result of the concerning statements by Wood, Proctor and Gamble made the decision to close the downtown Cincinnati facility on Wednesday. Police said Wood was found at his home in Kenton County and was taken into custody.

Prosecutor Joe Deters said, “I am grateful for the efforts of the Cincinnati Police Department and the Kenton County Sheriff’s for being so vigilant.”

Deters continued by saying, “We have seen too many individuals suffering from severe mental illness not be identified before something terrible happens. Fortunately, the criminal justice system has the resources to work with those suffering from mental illness to try to prevent a tragedy from occurring,”

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