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- Government Actions:Government Action: BBB reports on known government actions involving business’ marketplace conduct:United States of America vs Mark Alan Thomas
The following describes a pending government action that has been formally brought by a government agency but has not yet been resolved. We are providing a summary of the government's allegations, which have not yet been proven.
On September 30, 2021 A federal grand jury charged former Belmont County attorney with crimes related to stealing more than half a million dollars from an elderly woman with dementia while acting as the woman's Power of Attorney. Mark Alan Thomas of St Clairsville, OH is charged with four counts of mail fraud, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, from 2012 through August 2019, Thomas defrauded a client while serving as her Power of Attorney. It is alleged that Thomas took the victim's money without her knowledge or permission to use for his own benefit. In May 2012 a family member of the victim obtained a separate Power of Attorney for the victim, and it is alleged that Thomas drafted a revocation of the family member's Power of Attorney for the victim to sign. At the time, the victim was 85 years old, exhibiting symptoms of dementia, and living in a senior-care facility.
The indictment further alleges that Thomas falsely told a banker he needed $200,000 form the victim's investment account to set up an educational fund that that victim wanted to establish. Once he received the money from the bank, Thomas allegedly transferred the money to himself instead. In January 2014, Thomas allegedly cashed more than $290,000 pf the victim's U.S. Treasury Bonds, then subsequently transferred $200,000 into his law firm's bank account, and eventually into his own personal bank account.
According to the indictment, in 2016, Thomas wrote letters to three life insurance companies purporting to be the victim asking to cash out the victim's policies an direct all correspondence to Thomas. In total, the charging document alleges Thomas stole more than $500,000 of the victim's funds while claiming to act in her best interests as Power of Attorney. For more information go to: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/former-belmont-county-attorney-charged-stealing-more-half-million-dollars-elderly
Business Details
- BBB File Opened:
- 10/9/2006
- Business Management:
- Mr. Mark A Thomas, Owner
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- Mr. Mark A Thomas, Owner
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