Northeast Ohio woman accused of faking being a veterinarian indicted on more charges

AKRON, Ohio - A Summit County grand jury indicted a northeast Ohio woman accused of pretending to be a veterinarian on several more charges Friday, according to Akron police.

Brandi Tomko, 35, is already facing 33 misdemeanor and felony charges for allegedly posing as a veterinarian at C&D Animal Hospital on Brittain Road in Akron.

Akron police detective Steve Null said many of the new charges stem from complaints received by police after NewsChannel5 aired a story about Tomko's case.

Null said more than 20 people called his office after the story aired. He said many of the calls came from pet owners who believe Tomko is responsible for their pets' deaths. He said Tomko misdiagnosed one dog with diabetes. He said the animal later died. Null also said Tomko botched a surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from an animal.

Akron resident Kenny Reymann sparked the investigation into Tomko. He complained to police after his dog Charlie died last April. He said he had no idea his choice to come forward would lead to such a large response from other pet owners.

"I never thought it would get this big. I didn't really realize the magnitude of the story. I mean, to me, it was always big, but I didn't know it meant this much to everyone else and it's just been humbling," he said.

The exact number of new charges against Tomko is not public yet, but it does involve a charge for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, according to Akron police. The charge is a first-degree felony and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Tomko is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing at the Summit County Court of Common Pleas at 9 a.m. Monday. Null said the judge will address the additional charges against Tomko and will likely set a trial date.