BROOKVILLE - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that a Preble County attorney has been found guilty of stealing money from multiple elderly or disabled residents while working as the guardian of their estates.
James Thomas Jr., 38, of Brookville, pleaded no contest to a bill of information this morning charging him with three counts of theft from an elderly person or disabled adult and three counts of falsification. After accepting the no contest plea, visiting Judge Neal Bronson found him guilty of the charges.
The charges were filed after an investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) found that Thomas took more than $208,000 from four victims’ bank accounts between 2007 and 2013.
The victims, who range in age from 41-72, are all Preble County residents.
“As guardian of their estates, it was this defendant’s job to protect these individuals from financial exploitation, but the investigation found that he regularly used their bank accounts as his personal ATM,” said Attorney General DeWine. “Those who prey on Ohio’s vulnerable citizens should be on notice that we will do everything we can to protect our elderly and disabled citizens from those who take advantage of them.”
The falsification charges relate to the filing of false documents associated with the guardianships in Preble County probate court.
The case is being prosecuted by Attorney General DeWine’s Special Prosecutions Section. Investigators with the Preble County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
Thomas will be sentenced on June 17.
A copy of the bill of information filed in this case can be found on the Ohio Attorney General’s website.
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Preble County Attorney found guilty of theft from elderly, disabled adults
Why did it take them from 2007 to 2013 to catch this thief?
ReplyDeleteHow is it that the court system can routinely dump the elderly into guardianship with less than the required seven days notice, but it takes years to catch on that they have turned this victim over to a serial criminal?
We go to them for help and they're waiting like the spider for the fly.
ReplyDeleteProtecting cognitively-impaired older adults from predators is the subject of several legal reforms which have been proposed in Ohio that others might not be familiar with. The most recent proposal is the subject of an article posted by Texas Tech law professor Gerry Beyer at http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2014/05/guest-post-by-state-director-of-the-national-organization-to-end-elder-financial-abuse-.html For more information, contact tvfields@oh.rr.com
ReplyDeleteIt took so long anonymous because no one is watching. It's a wonder they caught the thief at all.
ReplyDeleteNo one is speaking up and that is one of the reasons he is not being held accountable! He does not have a license to practice law but people are still going to see him. He is walking around free and continuing this abuse. Why are there no protest at the courthouse? Why did the Court not hold him responsible a long time ago? Where are all the people he took cash from, and did not work on their case? PEOPLE, speak up!
ReplyDeleteNo one is speaking up and that is one of the reasons he is not being held accountable! He does not have a license to practice law but people are still going to see him. He is walking around free and continuing this abuse. Why are there no protest at the courthouse? Why did the Court not hold him responsible a long time ago? Where are all the people he took cash from, and did not work on their case? PEOPLE, speak up!
ReplyDelete