COLUMBUS, OH (WOWO) A legal dispute involving one of Ratmir Timashev and three former employees of his AI startup has escalated into dueling lawsuits, with allegations of fraud, trade secret theft, and mismanagement of millions of dollars.

The countersuit, filed Monday in federal court, comes after the former employees previously sued Timashev and his company, OH.io, claiming breach of contract following their termination in April.

Dueling lawsuits center on OH.io leadership dispute

Timashev, a major donor to Ohio State University, founded OH.io in 2025 to support AI startup development. The company hired Jeff Schumann as CEO in July 2025, followed by Kevin Colon and Seth Metcalf as general partners.

According to court filings, all three were terminated on April 13 within hours of one another. The former employees later filed suit in Franklin County court alleging contract breaches and wrongful termination.

In response, Timashev and OH.io allege the trio mismanaged company funds, failed to bring in clients, and improperly handled internal data.

Allegations of financial mismanagement and data deletion

The countersuit claims an internal investigation found the former employees were responsible for significant financial losses, including allegations of:

• Approximately $8 million in company funds allegedly misused or mismanaged
• No new client acquisition during their tenure, according to OH.io claims
• A projected $3 million in losses over a three-month period
• Alleged personal expenses charged to company funds, including hotel and entertainment costs

The company also alleges that shortly after Schumann was terminated, Metcalf performed a factory reset on a company-issued computer, erasing stored data. OH.io further claims that other devices were wiped and that Metcalf continued accessing company systems after termination.

Trade secrets and recording allegations

The lawsuit also alleges the former employees recorded meetings involving company leadership and shareholders without authorization. OH.io claims the recordings contain confidential information and that the individuals have refused to return them.

The countersuit seeks a temporary restraining order requiring the return of any recordings and protection of company materials while litigation proceeds.

Connection to prior state pension board case

The dispute also involves Seth Metcalf, who previously played a central role as a witness in litigation involving the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) board.

That earlier case examined alleged improper dealings involving pension governance and outside consulting firms. Metcalf was not a defendant in that case but was a key witness in proceedings involving alleged backroom negotiations.

Court filings outline competing claims

Both sides are alleging breach of contract, fraud, and fiduciary duty violations. OH.io has also raised claims including trade secret violations, evidence tampering, and property-related disputes.

The former employees’ earlier lawsuit alleges they were recruited from prior roles under promises of leadership authority and financial incentives, only to be dismissed after internal disagreements over financial management.

Court proceedings are ongoing in federal court, where a judge will consider requests for temporary restraining orders and other relief as the case moves forward.