Police: Couple stole $450,000 from elderly mother

By Alex Bridges

Virginia police are accusing Warren County couple Corinne and Ronald Llewellyn of exploiting an elderly family member out of more than $450,000.

The Llewellyns remain free on bond after their arrests last week on multiple counts of embezzlement and money laundering. Judge Daryl L. Funk scheduled the Llewellyns to appear in Warren County Circuit Court on July 26.

Ronald Llewellyn served on the Warren County Board of Supervisors from January 2004 through Dec. 31, 2007. Llewellyn also served on the Board of Directors for the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority for years until he stepped down in March 2019.

A grand jury on June 8 handed up indictments charging Ronald L. “Ron” Llewellyn, 70, of 205 Virginia Ave., Front Royal, with 44 counts of embezzling property valued at $200 or more belonging to his mother-in-law Jane White, which he received for her benefit by virtue of his fiduciary responsibilities.

Indictments charge Ronald Llewellyn with 10 counts of unlawfully conducting a financial transaction where the property involved represents the proceeds of an activity punishable as a felony. He also has been charged with forging a check dated Feb. 25, 2013, for $5,000 drawn on Jane White’s bank account and made payable to Senary LLC.

Indictments charge Ronald Llewellyn of committing the offenses on different dates between Dec. 21, 2011, and Jan. 18, 2018.

Grand jury indictments against Corinne W. Llewellyn, 70, of the same address, charge her with 21 counts of embezzlement from her mother and seven counts of money laundering. The indictments charge her with committing the offenses between Nov. 2, 2015 and April 20, 2018.

Court documents filed in March reveal details about the police investigation into the Llewellyns.

The Llewellyns appeared by video from the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center. Warren County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Ilona White appeared for the prosecution. Defense attorney Douglas Napier represented the Llewellyns for their court appearance.

Funk granted the Llewellyns’ release on personal recognizance bonds. Funk ordered that as a condition of their bond the Llewellyns may not leave Virginia.

Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney John S. Bell filed a motion dated March 1 requesting that the court issue a subpoena ducus tecum for the production of financial records from Atlantic Union Bank associated with Ron Llewellyn’s businesses and limited liability corporations: Llewellyn LLC, Heptad LLC (of which he has been a partner), Senary LLC and Fragrances LTD.

“The Commonwealth asserts that there is probable cause to believe that a possible crime has been committed and that the records sought are relevant to a legitimate law-enforcement inquiry,” the motion states.

Virginia State Police Special Agent Adam C. Galton filed an affidavit in support of the subpoena request. Galton sought records from the bank from Sept. 1, 2016, to May 1, 2017. Galton states that the information shows that probable cause exists that the Llewellyns and the businesses and limited liability corporations “committed elder financial exploitation through embezzlement, money laundering, and forgery of financial instruments from entrusted funds associated with the accounts related to the Jane Angus White.”

Trustees and family members of Corinne Llewellyn’s mother asked Virginia police “to investigate extensive financial impropriety by the Llewellyn’s (sic),” the affidavit for the subpoena states.

The affidavit states the investigation “yielded approximately $451,892.44 of gross financial exploitation after reviewing available records dating back to 2010,” including direct payments from February 2013-May 2018 totaling $55,500 to Senary LLC; $4,400 to Heptad LLC from October 2016-March 2017; $38,900 to Llewellyn LLC from December 2011-October 2017.

The investigator states that the records he reviewed also show the Llewellyns took direct payments from trust funds and used the money for personal travel, vehicles, real estate taxes, legal fees, property repairs, maintenance to their home, property and life insurance, pest-control services, telecommunication services, heating and vehicle fuel costs, and pool service for their house in Florida.

The affidavit also states that a check was made on Feb. 25, 2013, from the Jane A. White Trustee for the Jane Angus White Living Trust in the amount of $5,000 to the order of Senary LLC.

“The trustees and family members confronted Ronald Llewellyn about this check in 2015 and, according to three witnesses, Ronald Llewellyn admitted to forging her name to the check,” the affidavit states.

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Police: Couple stole $450,000 from elderly mother