COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Monday that a Clinton County grand jury has indicted Michael Foster on three felony charges for defrauding an elderly couple out of more than $50,500. Foster, who owns Five 13 Properties, was charged with two counts of theft from a person in a protected class and one count of telecommunications fraud, both of which are third-degree felonies.
According to the indictment, Foster accepted a down payment from the elderly couple to build a house for them but did not perform any work or deliver any materials. Instead, he used text messages to keep up the pretense and continued to steal money from the couple between June 2021 and January 2022.
The case was investigated by the attorney general’s Economic Crimes Unit, which is a part of the Consumer Protection Section. The unit will also prosecute the case.
The indictment is a result of the unit’s efforts to protect Ohioans from fraudulent and criminal activity. Elderly citizens, in particular, are often targeted by fraudsters due to their perceived vulnerability. The unit urges all Ohioans to be vigilant against these types of scams and to report any suspicious activity to the authorities immediately.
