(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Champaign County Prosecutor Nick Selvaggio announced today the indictment of a man who allegedly stole more than $21,000 from an elderly Mechanicsburg couple. The indictment was the result of a collaborative investigation by the Economic Crimes Division of Attorney General Mike DeWine's Consumer Protection Section and the Champaign County Sheriff.
"Criminals who target elderly victims are simply reprehensible," said Attorney General DeWine. "My office will continue to work with law enforcement and prosecutors around Ohio to find these people and put them in prison."
|Terry R. Langston, 61, previously of Jacksonville, Fla., was recently indicted by a Champaign County grand jury for Theft From the Elderly, a third-degree felony. According to investigators, Langston allegedly took more than $21,000 from an elderly Champaign County couple to pave their driveway. After spreading a thin layer of crumbling asphalt, Langston quickly cashed the couple's check and fled town.
"The Prosecutor's Office is committed to being vigilant in prosecuting crimes against our elderly citizens," said Champaign County Prosecutor Selvaggio. "The current economic climate exposes our senior citizen community as especially vulnerable. Partnering with the Attorney General's Office allows us to aggressively pursue those who exploit and victimize our senior citizens."
An attorney from the Attorney General's Economic Crimes Division was appointed as a special prosecuting attorney for the case.
A warrant for Langston's arrest has been issued by the Champaign County Common Pleas Court. Prosecutors have learned that Langston is also wanted for felony theft in Ellis County, Kan., for allegedly victimizing another elderly couple with a similar scam. Langston's current whereabouts are unknown.
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