(CLEVELAND) – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine issued the following statement today after the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Marshals revealed John Donald Cody as the true identity of 'Bobby Thompson,' the mastermind of the alleged charity scam U.S. Navy Veterans Association.
"For years this suspect hid from the truth, but today, the truth has caught up with him," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. "John Cody can no longer conceal his identity under the alias 'Bobby Thompson.'"
Federal authorities announced this morning that fingerprint analysis revealed Cody had been wanted by the FBI for fraud since 1987.
The Ohio Attorney General's Office has spent years investigating Cody, who is believed to have collected nearly $2 million of Ohioans' money and tens of millions from residents in 40 other states who thought they were donating to military veterans.
John Cody AKA 'Bobby Thompson' is currently in custody in Cleveland, awaiting trial on charges including money laundering and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. The Ohio Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the case.
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