Court docs: Influencer charged with kidnapping, impersonating police officer after social media ‘prank’
YOUR TIME HAS COME. THE OCTOBER CHILL IS HERE. I’M TRACKING THE TIMELINE FOR A FEW SHOWERS TOMORROW, AND WHEN IT’S TIME TO BREAK OUT THE WINTER COATS AND BREAKING NEWS SIGNS OF RECOVERY. IS THE NEWS COMING FROM AMAZON AFTER A MASSIVE OUTAGE HIT WEBSITES NATIONWIDE. WHAT ENGINEERS SHARED IN JUST THE LAST 15 MINUTES ABOUT THE ISSUES AFFECTING VERY POPULAR APPS. ALSO BREAKING A DRIVER SLAMMED INTO A HOME IN WEST PRICE HILL OVERNIGHT. WHAT WE’RE LEARNING ABOUT THE DRIVER AS CREWS CLEAN UP THE MESS LEFT BEHIND. THIS IS WLWT NEWS FIVE TODAY, LEADING THE WAY. ALL RIGHT. FEELING LIKE FALL OUT THERE. GOOD MORNING TO YOU I’M MEGAN MITCHELL AND I’M KELLY RIPPIN. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHERE THOSE COATS ARE OR MAYBE EVEN THE RAINCOAT IF YOU DIDN’T FIND IT YESTERDAY. NOT A TON OF CHANCES THIS WEEK TO NEED IT, BUT A COUPLE RANDI. LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FORECAST FOR THE WEEK. ALL RIGHT. SO YESTERDAY’S RAIN HAS COME AND GONE. WE PICKED UP ABOUT AN INCH OF TOTAL RAINFALL. AND MAN THOSE TEMPERATURES TUMBLED. WE ARE LEFT WITH SOME COOLER AIR TODAY AND A REINFORCING COLD FRONT TOMORROW THAT WILL SEND TEMPERATURES SLIDING EVEN MORE. BUT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING IS QUIET. ALL THE RAIN HAS MOVED OFF INTO PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW YORK, AND THIS MORNING, WITH CLEAR SKIES, YOU CAN EXPECT TEMPERATURES THAT ARE IN THE 40S. IT IS 44 DEGREES RIGHT NOW IN CINCINNATI, 42. IN MIDDLETOWN. WE’VE DIPPED DOWN TO THE 30S IN A COUPLE OF SPOTS, INCLUDING HAMILTON AT 38 AND VERSAILLES, INDIANA. RIGHT NOW AT 39. AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE DAY PLAN ON TEMPERATURES THAT ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR, MOST PLACES WILL BE KIND OF LOW TO MID 60S, 63 TO 65 IS PROBABLY AN AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR US. AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE 12 HOUR FORECAST HERE. LOW 40S EARLY ON WITH CLEAR SKIES BY NOON. WE’RE AT 55 AND THEN MID AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES INTO THE LOW 60S. SO RAIN FREE TODAY. BUT WE’LL TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINE FOR SOME SHOWERS TOMORROW. COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES LADIES. ALL RIGHT RANDY THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE’LL KEEP AN EYE ON TRAFFIC. THERE’S A LOT GOING ON THIS MORNING. ROSS ROAD IS CLOSED IN FAIRFIELD DUE TO A CRASH. THIS IS A LIVE LOOK AT THE SCENE THERE. POLICE ARE KEEPING OUR CREW PRETTY FAR BACK RIGHT NOW. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ROAD IS CLOSED THERE. SO IF ROSS ROAD IS PART OF YOUR MORNING COMMUTE THERE IN FAIRFIELD, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND AVOID THAT AREA AS THEY WORK TO CLEAR WHATEVER HAPPENED THERE. AND OF COURSE, WE’LL CONTINUE TO BRING YOU UPDATES. LET’S CHECK IN NOW WITH KATIE DONOVAN. BECAUSE KATIE, THIS ISN’T THE ONLY THING THAT’S GOING ON OUT THERE. YEAH. SO THAT’S GOING TO BE A PRETTY BIG DETOUR FOR DRIVERS THAT LIVE UP THAT DIRECTION. HERE AGAIN, ROSS AND WOODRIDGE BOULEVARD GOING TO BE THE CROSS STREETS NEAR THAT. SO MAC ROAD AND SOUTH GILMORE ARE GOING TO BE YOUR BEST DETOURS AROUND THAT THIS MORNING. AND THEN AS YOU HEAD SOUTH ON 75, WE’VE GOT ANOTHER CRASH HERE. IT’S GOING TO HAVE THE LEFT LANE AND THE LEFT SHOULDER BLOCKED THIS MORNING. THIS IS GOING TO BE AT MITCHELL AGAIN ON THE SOUTHBOUND SIDE. SO WE’VE GOT POLICE ON SCENE HERE ACTUALLY. NOW LOOKS LIKE THE LEFT LANE IS OPEN. SO IT’S JUST GOING TO BE THE LEFT SHOULDER BLOCKED FOR YOU HERE. TRAFFIC REALLY HAS NOT BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS AT ALL THIS MORNING. SO THAT’S SOME GOOD NEWS THERE. IF THAT’S PART OF YOUR COMMUTE OUTSIDE OF THAT CRASH HERE. LOOKS LIKE WE’RE DOING OKAY THIS MORNING. SO WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED IF THINGS CHANGE. BUT RIGHT NOW DRIVE TIMES PRETTY NORMAL 20 MINUTES FROM LIBERTY WAY TO DOWNTOWN AND 75 SOUTH, A LATERAL TO FORT WASHINGTON WAY TO EIGHT MINUTES ON 71 SOUTHBOUND. LADIES, BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT, KATIE, THANK YOU. AND NOW TO A BIG UPDATE IN THAT INTERNET OUTAGE AFFECTING WEBSITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO AMAZON WEB SERVICES SHARED JUST IN THE LAST 15 MINUTES. THEY ARE SEEING, QUOTE, SIGNIFICANT SIGNS OF RECOVERY. BUT HEARING FROM A LOT OF YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA THAT YOU’RE STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH CERTAIN APPS OR WEBSITES. SO THEY SAY THERE IS STILL A BACKLOG. POPULAR APPS, INCLUDING SNAPCHAT, RING, ROBLOX MAY NOT BE WORKING, BUT ALSO YOUR AMAZON BASED SERVICES BECAUSE THEY RELY ON AMAZON WEB SERVICES. HAD A WOMAN SAY THAT HER ALEXA WASN’T WORKING THIS MORNING. HOPEFULLY I DIDN’T JUST TRIGGER YOURS, BUT THE PROBLEMS APPEAR TO HAVE STARTED AT ABOUT THREE THIS MORNING, AND AMAZON SAYS IT HAS ENGINEERS WORKING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. NOW, SOME OF YOU HAVE TOLD US ON SOCIAL MEDIA THERE ARE ALSO ISSUES OVER AT CVG, MAYBE PROCESSING CARDS. WE HAVE A CREW HEADING THAT WAY TO FIND OUT IF THAT’S THE CASE. WE’VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE AIRPORT FOR COMMENT. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN CALLING LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE OUTAGE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AFFECTING ANY ACCESS TO 911 OR EMERGENCY SERVICES. THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE THE CASE. IT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE. THIS MORNING. WE ARE TRACKING THESE ISSUES AND WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS WE LEARN MORE AND BREAKING NEWS. A DRIVER IS IN POLICE CUSTODY AFTER THEIR CAR WENT CAREENING INTO A HOME EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS HAPPENED ON WEST EIGHTH STREET RIGHT BY SUNSET AVENUE, AROUND 12:30 A.M. A TOW TRUCK ONLY GOT THAT CAR OUT WITHIN THE LAST 90 MINUTES OR SO, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT DOES NEED TO GET CLEANED UP, AND YOU CAN SEE WHY HERE. VIDEO OF THAT DAMAGE. I MEAN, WE ARE TOLD PEOPLE WERE INSIDE THIS HOME WHEN THE CAR CRASHED. NO ONE WAS HURT. THE DRIVER WAS ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF OVI. POLICE HAVE NOT RELEASED THAT PERSON’S NAME, BUT W
Court docs: Influencer charged with kidnapping, impersonating police officer after social media ‘prank’
Updated: 9:10 AM EDT Oct 20, 2025
Court documents indicate that a social media influencer is facing charges after impersonating a police officer and detaining a minor outside of Great American Ballpark.Justin Simmons, 30, is being charged with kidnapping and impersonating a police officer in the case.See WLWT headlines in the video player aboveSimmons, who goes by the nicknames “Bankie Luchiano” and “Bankroll” online, says that he was livestreaming while the incident happened.The video appears to no longer be viewable on Simmons’ accounts.The incident was said to have occurred on Sept. 23. While the specific time of the incident was not listed, that night the Cincinnati Reds were playing one of their final regular-season games against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the ballpark.The minor was reportedly in “great distress” because of the detention, according to court documents. They also describe the detention as having “terrorized” him, and “caused him great fear.”Simmons has since responded to the charges against him on Facebook, writing, “BRAA… they really tryna charge me with KIDNAPPING and IMPERSONATING A COP all over a joke I did on stream. Anybody who really knows me knows I’ve been nothing but positive, staying out the way, focused n haven’t been in no type trouble in YEARS!! This situation is real but so is my fight. I’m asking for everybody who rocks with me to stay down with me through this. I’m bouta fight this with everything I got. I love y’all!!”Simmons was arraigned in court on Thursday. His grand jury hearing on the charges is set for Oct. 27.
CINCINNATI —
Court documents indicate that a social media influencer is facing charges after impersonating a police officer and detaining a minor outside of Great American Ballpark.
Justin Simmons, 30, is being charged with kidnapping and impersonating a police officer in the case.
See WLWT headlines in the video player above
Simmons, who goes by the nicknames “Bankie Luchiano” and “Bankroll” online, says that he was livestreaming while the incident happened.
The video appears to no longer be viewable on Simmons’ accounts.
The incident was said to have occurred on Sept. 23. While the specific time of the incident was not listed, that night the Cincinnati Reds were playing one of their final regular-season games against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the ballpark.
The minor was reportedly in “great distress” because of the detention, according to court documents. They also describe the detention as having “terrorized” him, and “caused him great fear.”
Simmons has since responded to the charges against him on Facebook, writing, “BRAA… they really tryna charge me with KIDNAPPING and IMPERSONATING A COP all over a joke I did on stream. Anybody who really knows me knows I’ve been nothing but positive, staying out the way, focused n haven’t been in no type trouble in YEARS!! This situation is real but so is my fight. I’m asking for everybody who rocks with me to stay down with me through this. I’m bouta fight this with everything I got. I love y’all!!”
Simmons was arraigned in court on Thursday. His grand jury hearing on the charges is set for Oct. 27.