By Frank Lewis
A Lucasville man has been sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Brandon White, 28, was sentenced in the Hocking County Common Pleas Court after pleading guilty in September to counts of theft and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced Tuesday that White was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to repay $49,951 for using bad checks and falsified documents to steal cattle and vehicles in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
As part of the plea agreement, White also will surrender a horse trailer, which will be liquidated and applied toward paying back victims.
Operating under the names B&S Trucking and Livestock LLC and Brandon’s Cattle Company, DeWine said White targeted farmers who advertised cattle for sale on Craigslist. He reportedly purchased the animals using checks drawn on an account that did not belong to him and contained insufficient funds. He then sold the cattle quickly, before the checks bounced. DeWine said he also used falsified documents to steal vehicles used to transport the cattle.
“These were serious offenses with real victims,” DeWine said. “Cases like this are the reason I created an Economic Crimes Unit shortly after taking office — to work with local law enforcement to track down con artists and hold them accountable.”
The case was prosecuted by an attorney with Attorney General DeWine’s Economic Crimes Unit. It was investigated by the Economic Crimes Unit along with the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office, Gallia County Sheriff’s Office, Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson Township Police, Portsmouth Police, Kenova Police (West Virginia), Mercer County Sheriff’s Office (Kentucky), Wood County Sheriff’s Office (West Virginia), and the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
A co-defendant, Frank Osborne, pleaded guilty in October to counts of attempted engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, attempted tampering with records, and theft by deception for helping White transport the stolen cattle and vehicles. Osborne is set to be sentenced on Dec. 17, 2015.
Ohioans can report suspected scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or by calling 800-282-0515.
Reach Frank Lewis at 740-353-3101, ext. 1928, or on Twitter @franklewis.
