Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Kids' Case Worker Says She Rips Hard-Core Drugs on the Job: Cops

Episode Date: March 18, 2026

Erika Funfgeld, 27, was arrested in January 2026 after police received a call about a car swerving on the road and nearly hitting oncoming traffic. Bucyrus Police body-worn cameras recorded Funfgeld admitting to officers that she was smoking fentanyl while working as a children's services case worker. Law&Crime's Angenette Levy goes through the video in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Stay Informed, Stay Safe – Check Public Records with TruthFinder now at https://www.truthfinder.com/lccrimefixHost:Angenette Levy  https://twitter.com/Angenette5CRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Daniel CamachoGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We were actually looking for you because somebody called in when you're on, I guess, route four coming in. They said you're kind of all over the road. A caseworker test with helping children meets up with police, and they say she admits to smoking drugs on the job. What are you putting in that? I'm not stupid. That's for smoking fentanyl. There's a lot of fentanyl in your car now. I go through the body camera footage of Erica Fumfgeld's arrest. You see the tip of my pen here? The field sobriety test.

I'm Ann Jeanette Levy, and this is Crime Fix. Erica Fumfgeld has a pretty important job. She's a caseworker who checks on children to make sure that they're in a safe place and doing well. But police in Ohio say they found her stoned out of her mind on the job earlier this year. The drug the cops say Erica Fumfgelt admitted to using fentanyl. That's an opioid that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. This case takes us to Crawford County, Ohio, in Greater Columbus, the state's capital. Erica Fumfgeld actually worked as a Children's Services caseworker in neighboring Marion County.

Erica is a 27-year-old woman who's about to celebrate her 28th birthday, actually. These photos are a few years old, and sadly, Erica looks a lot different now. It was a cold day on January 30, 2026, when Bucyrus police say they got a call that an S-U-SU-U-S-U-U. was swerving all over the road and nearly caused an accident with oncoming traffic. An officer went to look for the car and found it parked on a street nearby. To see, I've got that Michibishi on home circle. That was a complaint. All over the roadway across the median almost taking out well boxes.

This is right. It's just parked on the road here. Got any contact? Good. Trying to do a home visit. Home visit? Yeah. I work for Mary and Children's Services. Okay. One of my father still got here. Gotcha.

We were actually looking for you because somebody called in when you're on, I guess, Route 4 coming in. They said you're kind of all over the road. Maybe. I've been having, so the snow underneath my tires is making it all bumpy. That's why I just pulled over right here. And I was trying to figure. Gotcha. Okay. Where are you doing the hole in this at?

One straight, 27 eastward. How'd you make it over here? It was having me go down that road, but, um, and I was supposed to, I think, keep going straight and right, and then I pulled down here because it was... Gotcha. But it says I'm six minutes away. I gotcha. Is it your vehicle? or? This might be a vehicle, yeah. Okay. Do you have your insurance card by chance just real quick?

The officer notices something that peaks his interest, and you're going to hear about it on the footage in just a moment. He wrote in his report, while speaking to Fulfgeld, I observed her right thumb and indexed fingertips appeared to have thermal burns and blackness to the pads, causing me to believe she had frequently used a pipe to smoke illegal drugs. I did not observe her other fingertips on either hand to have the same burns. I observed her skin to be pale and appeared clammy while her mouth had white saliva built up around her lips, and her saliva appeared thick while she spoke. She appeared very slow and lethargic in her speaking and movements, causing me to believe she was under the influence of a depressant. She was asked to step out of her vehicle and initially was hesitant and asked if she had to.

I advised her, due to the called in complaints and my observations, I needed to be sure, she was safe to continue driving. So let's get back to the video and pick up where we left off with the officer and Erica. Taking any type of medication or anything that would make you kind of groggy? No. No? I mean, I was up later last night. Gotcha.

You seem kind of lethargic, I guess. I'm nervous. I'm like diabetic or anything? No. What would you be nervous for? Because I just got pulled over. Well, I mean, technically you were stopped, right? I just pulled up behind you.

You know I'm popping off your glasses real quick for me? Yeah. So you don't take any medication or anything? You just said you were up late last night? I mean, I take medication. A lot of stuff to be taken. Yeah. I've been taking it for a couple years, and then I take...

What do you say? I know what it is. It's like... Yeah, it can be used for multiple things. Yeah, right. Okay. I take 600 milligrams. I got you.

I mean, do you feel like you should be driving right now? Yeah. I got you. What happened to your thumb there? No, like on the inside of your thumbs. It looks burnt and stuff. Oh. Touch hot things.

You know, I don't know. Gotcha. She's from Columbus, but she works for Marion CPS. She's going to a home visit on Warren. Said her tires were acting up or something. I got you. Well, just so we're making sure everybody's safe to drive and stuff, do you mind just hopping out with us real quick and we'll make sure you're at least safe to drive and we'll go from there, okay? Yeah, yeah, at this point I'm going to have you do that, okay.

Do you use any type of illicit drugs or anything? No. No? Okay. Well, Is she on the drive-round? She said she is, I don't know. So if we call Mary and CPS, they're going to say you're on the job right now? Yeah. Okay. All right, what's your name again? Erica, Thumb Scouts. Erica, Thumb Cow. Fumpf scalp F-U-N-F-G-E-L-D.

F-F-CAL-D? F-F-CAL. Do you ain't any weapons on you by any chance? Guns, knives? Nothing like it? Okay. Let's go ahead and hop out with it, okay? I understand if that's what you're doing and stuff,

but unfortunately we got to do what we got to do too. Can you give them a call? You just seem a little lethargic and stuff. You just want to step back here with this officer? You want to run it through a few. and stuff? Yeah, you can't ever I search your box? Is this your cigarette pack? Is there anything in it? Yeah. Can I look? Okay. You want me throwing back in her for you? You just want to keep the hold on? Okay. You just want to step back here from my car, please.

Erica Fumphgeld gets out of her SUV. A second officer has already arrived on scene, and they both wait as she gets steady on her feet. The dash cam from the cruiser is recording, and you can see that Erica walks toward the cruiser, and she leans over the hood. officer who first approached her updates the second officer and they talk about what he believes are Fumfgeld's burned fingertips. Like she's been using a pipe or something like finger all burnt and stuff and then she's covered in like a hash and stuff. Really? She's just a real farce.

Maybe she's fucked weed. Would you smell it? I also don't even get all. Oh, but it can't be weed. Can you smell that. Let's go ahead and hop out with it, okay? I understand if that's what you're doing and stuff. We're going to do what we gotta do too.

Can you give them a call? McCall and she's just supposed to be over here. Is you want to step back to this officer? Yeah, I'm going to be sure. I don't know if it's not a call on. All right, just go ahead and step over here for me. Be careful if I search your pockets real quick, just while we're standing out here. Yeah.

All right. Okay. Can I get it? Can I work? Okay. Then we're going back in there for you? Yeah, just fine. Okay.

Just want to step back here for my car, please. Be careful if I search you real quick. Is that okay with you? Yeah, fine. Okay, thank you. Face the car for me. Hey guys got gloves? What'd be there?

You give me some gloves real quick. Try your hands up here for me. Please. Please. Just keep them up there, okay? Please. Just keep them on there. Don't move or anything. Hey ma'am, keep your hands up on the car.

Write your name's Erica, right? Yeah, you have the rights to remain silent. Anything you say can, it will be held against you in the quarter of law. in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can't afford attorney, you want to be provided to you by the courts without cost. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. You have the right to stop answering questions any time. Do you understand your rights, Erica? All right, thank you. Real quick, hey, can you lean up for me? What is that? Just be honest at this point, okay? Be honest with...

It's a straw. There's a straw for what? Cocaine? Crack? Meth? You're not putting speed in that? What do you putting in that. I'm not stupid. That's for smoking fentanyl? We'll have that. A row out for 1025 checks. What's the last one of something? I touched that

with my bare hands and she said it's fentanyl. I did touch that with my bare hands, so just pay attention to me. I'm on the phone. So you said fentanyl? When's the last time you smoked, you said? Honestly, it's been a couple of days. Been a couple of days?

You may want to advise them. Keep your hands up here for me. I might not tell you in, okay? If it's a mercy or not for one-13-day- No, absolutely not, not right now, okay? Now, if you're honest with me, I can work with you, absolutely, okay? But for right now, give me a second. Is there anything, is there anything that's going to poke me?

Because if something pokes me, I'm going to be livid. No. Okay, thank you. No other drugs on you. No. Can I ask you a question? I'm not judging here anything. With you working for CPS, what makes you want to do fentanyl?

That's probably is in the past. Okay. Do you get it in Marion or do you get it here in town? You're in B. Cyrus? It's my dog's collar pin. Neither. You don't get it. Where do you get it? Columbus. Oh, you go to Columbus to get it?

Yeah. Okay. I live in Columbus. Oh, you live in Columbus? Yeah. Do you have an addiction problem? Or are you just doing it every once in a while? Honestly, like, it's every once in a while, and I've done it so.

on and off. It's just, I don't even get high from it anymore. It's just the process of getting off of it. Would you say you're a habitual user of it then? No, like it's... Not real. Okay. Do you have any needles or anything I'm concerned with? Is there currently any fentany on the car? We're going to search, and my dog already indicated, so I'm just asking where it's at, so I don't have to worry about it. You might as well be honest now. We're going to find it one way or another. Okay, it's going to be totally up to you.

We're going to put in your report whether you're cooperative or not. Like I said, it's going to be up to you. So if you want to be on cooperative, that's going to be on you. It's the private door and underneath the radio. Airside door and underneath the radio. Thank you very much. I appreciate that, okay? We can work with honesty.

Erica Thumbfgout, she's being pretty cooperative. The officer read her, her Miranda warnings, and you heard him tell him where he can find more drugs. her SUV. Now, as this is going on, the other officers are looking through her car, and they find pill bottles and drugs. No question for you, okay? What is this? What does this use for? Okay, what do you do with it? You smoke it? Do you put it up the scissors, or do you hold it somehow with a device? Put the straw? You put it in the end of the straw, and then do you put the fin on the foil? Explain to me how you administer it. How do you do it? Explain to me. So you take the

straw, you take the foil, you put the foil in the end of the straw. From 1,300 home circle dress or 1-305. Hold the straw and smoke it? Okay. Are both these bags fentany? Yeah. Erica Fumphgeld says she has struggled with addiction in the past, so I thought I would search her on TruthFinder to see what comes up.

TruthFinder is one of the largest websites for searching public records. We use it all of the time here on law and crime to research cases, and you can use truth finder too. Just type in a name to find addresses, criminal history, and more. It's our go-to tool for checks and one of the largest search services in the United States. Erica's arrest is pretty new, so it's not showing up just yet on Truthfinder, but it will. With a Truthfinder subscription, you get unlimited confidential searches to check on new neighbors, vet people you meet online, or find someone to reconnect with. Even look up registered sex offenders nearby or do a background search on yourself. Stay informed. Stay safe. Check public records with TruthFinder now at

truthfinder.com slash LC crime fix. The officer searches Erica Fumfgeld, and then it's time for a field sobriety test. Can you kick off that boot, please? Thank you. All right, listen, we're going to go through some field sobriety testing. Okay, you're willing to go through that? Okay, it's me checking your and make sure you're going to be good to drive is what I'm saying is what it is okay you cool with that? Yeah, alright let's get that done okay give me one second Keep your hands out your pocket for me just while we're sitting down here okay I know it's cold I know just bear with me All right go ahead and face me all right so a quick question for you okay first question

Are you got any recent head injuries? How close is recent like let's say within the last week two weeks No, okay. Have you had any recent head injuries ever, like a TBI or anything like that? What have you had? I was in an abusive relationship. Okay. And what's, any multiple concussions? Okay. All right. Have you had any recent neck injuries of any sort? Any recent back injuries of any sort? How about hip injuries? Any leg injuries of any sort? Like, I've had back hip and leg, but not recent. Okay. Not recently. So what's wrong with your back, hips and legs? My back, I have two wedged vertebraes and one broken from cheerleading. Okay. My hips, they dislocate from cheerleading. Okay. And my knee, well, both my knees.

I've torn my left one, my ACL. All right, so what we're going to do is the H-E-N, okay? It's an eye test, all right? I'm going to move my pin side to side. I just need to follow that, okay? All right, put your arms down on your side just like this, and put your feet together just like this. Okay?

maintain that position for me, okay? You see the tip of my pin here? Go ahead and touch the tip of my pin with your index finger. Okay, go ahead and place it back down. With your other hand, use your index finger to touch the tip of my pen. Okay, go ahead and put that back down. That's the pin you're going to follow, okay? I want you to keep your head still, follow the tip of my pin with your eyes and eyes only.

Keep following the tip of my pin until I tell you to stop. Do you understand? Okay. Go ahead and clear your hair out of your face for me real quick. All right, you ready? Keep your hands out of your side. After the field sobriety test ends, there's more to do, and there's also concern about the officer who searched Erica possibly being exposed to fentanyl. Real quick, you might put your hands out like this for me, your fingers out just like this, okay?

You got to follow me real quick? Well, no, you... Hopefully I don't pass out. Hey, we should probably see it happen. I also touched the straw. He touched the straw bear hand. The officer said they found a number of pill bottles, pills and a white baggy with powder, while searching Erica's SUV. Much of it was laid out on the hood of a cruiser so it could be documented.

The inside of her car, it's just full of stuff. Family services. The effects that could possibly do after. Which we've searched plenty of cars like this before, but it is what it is. You guys got three on tonight, don't you? My brother took personal grandma digest. I know. I know. I can't believe you came to this. The office doesn't work today?

No, he's off. I don't think it was a deal on any right. But there's still a concern for Erica and the fact that she's admitted to smoking fentanyl as you saw. So EMTs check her out. I don't think it just goes away though. The front end damage? Is that what it? No.

Your bag was open. The fentanyl bag. It was open when the officer was open when the officer. grabbed it and it went everywhere. There's a lot of fentanyl on your car now. So we just want to make sure we have enough emergency personnel here in case one of us passes out overdoses or anything, okay? No, you're good.

I just, I wanted to do that. They're transported and I was told to go with them and then you'll take 45. I doubt she goes. She's not overdosing. Wow. I'm afraid she might. Oh, really? Okay.

At least for observation. Okay. All of this. It's really, really sad. So many people in this. country are struggling with addiction. Sometimes getting arrested is the only way they can get help. Erica Fumfgeld was indicted on charges of aggravated possession of drugs, possession of cocaine, and possession of a fentanyl-related compound. Court records show she has pleaded not guilty to those

fifth-degree felonies. A TV station in Columbus, Ohio, reports that Erica Fumfgeld lost her job with Marion County Children's Services after her arrest and that she is now in rehab. So we'll keep an eye on this case and let you know what happens. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Ann Jeanette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.