The Brown County Grand Jury met recently and handed down indictments to 21 individuals, including Shannin Donaldson and Amanda Stevens.

According to their bill of indictments, the two were involved in allegedly defrauding multiple senior citizens in excess of more than $10,000 in money, property, and jewelry. As a result, the pair were each charged with one count of theft of a protected class, a second-degree felony, two counts of theft of a protected class, a third-degree felony, and grand theft, a fourth-degree felony.

Both Donaldson and Stevens are at-large, as of press time.

The bill of indictment states that the pair allegedly stole from John Fuss, Thelma Pope, John Alan Isaacs, and Janette Crum. According to Brown County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Chris Van Harlingen, Pope and Fuss were boyfriend and girlfriend and lived together, Isaacs is Fuss’ son, and Crum is Fuss’ sister. Pope recently passed away.

A probable cause affidavit filed in the Brown County Municipal Court states that Donaldson, 46, of Georgetown, is the mother of Stevens, 27, of Georgetown. The affidavit discloses the scheme Donaldson and Stevens hatched up to allegedly rob their victims.

The affidavit alleges that Donaldson and Stevens gained the trust of Fuss over many months while serving as caregivers and home keepers. According to court documents, Fuss is 81-years old.

It’s alleged that Donaldson and Stevens convinced Fuss that they needed regular payments from him to help pay court costs to settle a probate estate, which they said included a large inheritance for the pair. In reality, the probate estate didn’t exist, a detective from the Brown County Sheriff’s Office reported. The affidavit alleges that Donaldson promised to pay back the money she was taking with funds from the forged inheritance.

“(Donaldson and Stevens) claimed housekeeping services just for Fuss and Pope. They used fraudulent means in reference to a made-up estate to also steal money from Ms. Crum and Mr. Isaacs,” Van Harlingen said.

While the grand jury found that Donaldson and Stevens each stole no more than 37,500 from Fuss, the affidavit alleges that the pair stole around $400,000 “in the form of cash, coins, credit card use, guns, and other personal property.” The affidavit alleges the requests for money began in smaller amounts, worth $30 or $40, before rising over time. Van Harlingen said they were able to track bank withdrawals, jewelry and coins that were pawned off, and credit cards that were misused.

The affidavit alleges that these thefts occurred between November 1, 2014, and February 6, 2015.

“There’s a difference between what was missing and what we are able to prove,” Van Harlingen said in reference to the money discrepancy. She said a forensic investigator with the Bureau of Criminal Investigations found around $100,000 in total that could be traced.

In a separate, unrelated case, alleged burglar Jeffrey Carlier is likely to spend Christmas with the cranks; in jail.

Carlier was indicted on 26 felony counts, including two counts of engaging in a corrupt pattern of activity, both first-degree felonies, and 11 counts of second-degree felony burglary. Carlier is facing a maximum of 134 years in prison if convicted on all of his counts. He’s currently being held on $500,000 bond, according to documents filed in the court of common pleas.

According to Brown County First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Zac Corbin, Carlier is linked with Brian Crank on multiple crimes. Crank has been charged with 15 felonies, including five counts of second-degree burglary and one count of first-degree engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

Although she isn’t linked with Carlier, Crank’s sister Jessica was involved in some of Brian Crank’s thefts and burglaries, and was charged with three felonies.

Finally, in another separate, unrelated case, another methamphetamine ring in Mt. Orab has been busted as Ryan Paul Campbell, Samuel Tice, and Rebecca Tice were all charged with illegal manufacture of drugs, a first-degree felony, and illegal assembly or possession of drugs, a second-degree felony. According to Corbin and documents filed in the municipal court, the trio operated their meth lab out of a home near the Western Brown School District campus, and they were present when Mt. Orab Police Department officers executed a search warrant on October 18 and found materials used to manufacture methamphetamine.

Also indicted were:

Joe Blank, 51, of Hamersville, on one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

Terry Fontaine, 58, of Ripley, on one count of domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony.

Travis Mark Johnson, 28, of Aberdeen, on one count of possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of possessing drug abuse instruments, a second degree misdemeanor.

Steven Jordan, 41, of Mt. Orab, on two counts of domestic violence, both third-degree felonies.

Christopher Kirby Jr., 35, of Williamsburg, on one count of domestic violence, a third-degree felony.

Sebastian Connor Mains, 25, of Aberdeen, on; two counts of kidnapping, both first-degree felonies, one count of rape, a first-degree felony, two counts of abduction, both third-degree felonies, one count of having weapons under disability, a third-degree felony, and one count of domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Randolph Lynn Parlier, 54, of Dayton, Ohio, on; one count of having weapons under disability, a third-degree felony, two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, both fifth-degree felonies, and one count of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. All counts come with specification for a firearm in a drug case.

Sara Jean Pirtle, 36, of Aberdeen, on two counts of possession of heroin, both fifth-degree felonies, and one count of possessing drug abuse instruments, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Shawn Smith, 37, of Georgetown, on one count of possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony, one count of possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of possessing drug abuse instruments.

Kristy R. Stone, 29, of Mt. Orab, on one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a third-degree felony, with specification of a prior felony OVI charge.

David Strange, 28, of Manchester, on one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony.

Hunter John Tidball, 20, of Cincinnati, on one count of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a fourth-degree felony, one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Robert Wilson, 31, of Loveland, on; three counts of burglary, all second-degree felonies, one count of grand theft, a third-degree felony, two counts of safecracking, both fourth-degree felonies, one count of theft of a protected class, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of petty theft, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Rebecca Tice
https://www.newsdemocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_RebeccaTice.jpgRebecca Tice

Jeffrey Carlier
https://www.newsdemocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_JeffreyCarlier.jpgJeffrey Carlier

Ryan Paul Campbell
https://www.newsdemocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_RyanCampbell.jpgRyan Paul Campbell

Samuel Tice
https://www.newsdemocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_SamuelTice.jpgSamuel Tice

Jessica Crank
https://www.newsdemocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_MUGSHOTS_34117584.jpgJessica Crank

Brian Crank
https://www.newsdemocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_MUGSHOTS_34118038.jpgBrian Crank
Includes burglars, meth ring, and pair who defrauded senior citizens

By Daniel Karell

dkarell@civitasmedia.com

Reach Daniel Karell at 937-378-6161. Follow him on Twitter @GNDKarell