UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ANITA GREEN (24-3887/25-3017); AMANDA HOVANEC (24-3899) - Articles

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ANITA GREEN (24-3887/25-3017); AMANDA HOVANEC (24-3899)

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 13, 2026

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ARGUED: Amy Lee Copeland, ROUSE + COPELAND LLC, Savannah, Georgia, for Appellant

Attorneys 2: ARGUED: Anita Green. Benjamin S. Morrell, TAFT STETTINIUS & HOLLISTER LLP, Chicago, Illinois, for Appellant Amanda Hovanec.

Attorneys 3: ARGUED: Laura McMullen Ford, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellee.

Attorneys 4: ON BRIEF: Amy Lee Copeland, ROUSE + COPELAND LLC, Savannah, Georgia, for Appellant Anita Green.

Attorneys 5: ON BRIEF: Benjamin S. Morrell, TAFT STETTINIUS & HOLLISTER LLP, Chicago, Illinois, Emily A. England, TAFT STETTINIUS & HOLLISTER LLP, Denver, Colorado, for Appellant Amanda Hovanec.

Attorneys 6: ON BRIEF: Laura McMullen Ford, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellee.

Judge(s): MOORE, CLAY, and WHITE, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio at Toledo

KAREN NELSON MOORE, Circuit Judge. Amid their divorce proceedings, Amanda Hovanec killed her husband, T.H., by injecting him with etorphine, a large-animal tranquilizer. Anthony Theodorou, a man with whom Hovanec was romantically involved, shipped the etorphine to Hovanec from South Africa at her request. Hovanec and Theodorou disposed of the evidence after the murder, and Hovanec’s mother, Anita Green, drove them to bury T.H.’s body in the woods. When the hotel at which T.H. was staying informed the police that he had not checked out as expected, authorities began investigating and arrested Hovanec, Theodorou, and Green. Theodorou and Hovanec were indicted for conspiracy to import a controlled substance, importation of a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and distribution of a controlled substance with enhancements for causing death. Green was indicted for being an accessory after the fact. Hovanec, Theodorou, and Green all pleaded guilty. Hovanec appeals her 480-month sentence; Green appeals her 121-month sentence and the district court’s restitution order requiring her to pay for her grandchildren’s psychological care. For the reasons that follow, we AFFIRM Green’s and Hovanec’s sentences and REVERSE and REMAND Green’s restitution order for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

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