Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Burglary Following Home Invasion
ZANESVILLE, OH
On October 30, 2026, Frederick Lashley appeared in the Muskingum Court of Common Pleas before Judge Kelly Cottrill and plead guilty to Felonious Assault with Firearm Specification and Aggravated Burglary with Firearm Specification.
Lashley is facing a mandatory prison sentence with a total possible maximum sentence of 23 years in prison.
Lashley’s criminal history includes prior convictions for Theft, which resulted in multiple prior prison sentences.
In August, officers with the Zanesville Police Department were dispatched to a Zanesville home in reference to a burglary.
The victim reported that she was in her home with her granddaughter when she heard a “boom” from the backdoor. Upon entering the kitchen to investigate the noise the victim was met by Frederick Lashley running towards her with a handgun. Lashley pointed the gun in the victim’s face while yelling profanities at her that led the victim to believe he may rape her.
The victim managed to grab the gun as it was pointed towards her and escaped to her granddaughter’s room. She was able to finally shut the door while fighting off Lashley and instructed the child to jump out of the window. The victim was able to follow and ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
Prior to breaking into the victim’s home, a dispute over a lottery took place in which Lashley pistol whipped a male individual at another location.
The investigation, led by Detective Jason Keck, revealed that Lashley broke into the wrong apartment. Lashley thought he was breaking into the male individual’s home that he previously assaulted over the lottery ticket, but entered the grandmother’s home instead.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Warren Edwards represented the State. Sentencing will be held at a later date.
APA Edwards:
“The homeowner showed incredible courage to protect her granddaughter by engaging in a physical struggle with a larger male intruder who was armed with a firearm. It is incredibly fortunate that they were able to get away and that this situation did not end in tragedy."
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