Ohio pro bowler arrested mid-tournament faces child pornography charges

Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·2 min read
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U.S. Marshals arrested professional bowler Brandon Novak, 36, of Chillicothe while he was competing in the 2024 U.S. Open Bowling Tournament in Indianapolis. He still managed to score high enough to finish in the money, winning $1,500.
U.S. Marshals arrested professional bowler Brandon Novak, 36, of Chillicothe while he was competing in the 2024 U.S. Open Bowling Tournament in Indianapolis. He still managed to score high enough to finish in the money, winning $1,500.

A professional bowler from Chillicothe arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service last week while he was competing in the 2024 U.S. Open Bowling Tournament still scored high enough to finish in the money, winning $1,500.

Brandon Novak, 35, of Chillicothe, was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Feb. 1 in the middle of the tournament at Royal Pin Woodland in Indianapolis.

Charles Sanso, deputy U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio and a member of the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST), said that Novak had an active arrest warrant out of Ross County, Ohio.

Cindy Schumaker, assistant prosecuting attorney for Ross County, said Monday that Novak is charged under a secret indictment, and that any information about what he is charged with will not be released until he is extradited to Chillicothe. The prosecutor's office could not say when that will happen.

The Marion County, Indiana sheriff's website listed Novak as a current inmate as of 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The site says he was committed to the jail on Feb. 1 and is being held on a detainer for Ross County. The site gives no other indication about why authorities took him into custody.

The 11th Frame, a digital daily newspaper dedicated to news about bowling, reported Novak's arrest. The publication said marshals took Novak into custody during the second portion of the tournament, but before he could bowl to pick up a spare.

Novak began bowling in 2009 and has made a name for himself in the professional bowling community. He has competed professionally since 2012 and amassed high profile titles and wins over the course of his career.

According to his profile on the Professional Bowlers Association website, he has played in a total of 76 games, won the 2012 PBA Central Region Rookie of the Year title, and has earned more than $93,000 in winnings from competitions and tournaments.

@ShahidMeighan

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio pro bowler Brandon Novak arrested during tournament