CLEVELAND — Bobby George, who is well known for his ownership of restaurants including TownHall in Cleveland and other businesses in Ohio, is currently facing nine felonies, including rape, attempted murder, and kidnapping.
George was in custody Tuesday morning, making his first appearance in Cleveland Municipal Court where a judge set his bond at $200,000. According to court records, George was released from custody after posting 10% of that bond.
A protection order was also issued as George is to have no contact with the victim. Any violations of the protection order could result in him being charged and sentenced to 180 days in prison.
Records from Cleveland Municipal Court indicate a warrant was issued for George's arrest for crimes allegedly committed between November of 2023 and July of 2024 stemming from a criminal complaint that was filed on Friday. The 43-year-old Lakewood native faces the following charges:
- Attempted murder
- Rape
- Kidnapping (four different instances)
- Felonious assault
- Strangulation (two different instances)
Notably, both prosecutors and George's legal team had requested bond only be set at $100,000, citing his lack of a violent criminal history. However, Judge Shiela Turner McCall ordered that number be doubled, calling the allegations against George "horrible."
WARNING: This story contains graphic details of alleged physical and sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised.
WKYC has obtained a copy of the arrest warrant detailing the accusations against George. The first purported incident occurred on Nov. 14, 2023, when the victim claimed George pinned her to the ground and strangled her while slamming her head against a table, causing her to have blurred vision, ringing in her ears, and bleeding from her ears. She stated to police she was treated by a nurse practitioner employed by George and later diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.
The allegations continued from there, including one occurrence where the victim told police George pointed a gun at her and demanded she exit a car to come back inside a residence she was fleeing.
This past June, the woman said George tried to kill her by shoving a towel down her throat, and she maintains George asked "You think God is going to help you?" as she prayed for her life in a closet at "the residence they shared." In a separate instance, the victim told law enforcement George threw her on the ground and raped her after she got out of the shower.
George is the majority owner of several bars and restaurants in Northeast Ohio, including TownHall in Ohio City, REBoL in Public Square, and Barley House in the Warehouse District. At times known for his opinionated nature, he recently made headlines by refusing to air the Paris Olympics at a number of his locations after claiming the opening ceremonies were "insulting" to Christians.
Through his attorney, Kevin Spellacy, George denied the allegations against him and asserted he "has never been questioned regarding these allegations." Following Tuesday's court proceedings, Spellacy spoke to WKYC and defended his client against accusations that prosecutors are showing him favoritism.
"I think if his last name was Smith, this wouldn't be a news story," Spellacy argued. He then added, "I firmly believe the city of Cleveland did a completely inadequate investigation. I don't think they have any corroboration. I think there's people motivated inappropriately, and I look forward to vindicating Bobby George."
Besides the bond and the protection order, George was ordered to surrender his passport and firearms. As for the concerns over the relatively low bond, Cleveland State University law professor Jonathan P. Witmer-Rich believes the $200,000 amount was appropriate.
"In this case, we have a pretty high-profile person who owns multiple restaurants here in Cleveland, so it feels to me like the the risk of flight is not super high," Witmer-Rich explained. "Like, this person's not going to disappear."
Cleveland Law Director Mark Griffin released the following statement:
"This case was investigated by the Division of Police's Domestic Violence Unit and was handled the same way that similar cases are handled every single day. Information is gathered, evidence is presented to the prosecutor, and an objective decision is made solely based on the facts. This is a case that involves multiple incidents and, in this instance, several pieces of evidence were obtained before a charging decision was made. It's imperative for the public to know that this case was treated according to standard protocols like any other case — regardless of the defendant’s name, title, or occupation. The investigation remains ongoing."
The case has since been bound over to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, which has stressed the charges and bond could be adjusted moving forward. A grand jury is expected to review the charges within the next few weeks.