Marion's own Ryan C. Needels, a former owner of Clear View Construction, is starting a 7½-year term behind bars after being convicted of stealing over half a million dollars from his clients, as the office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost reported earlier this week.
Needles saw himself indicted last year for scamming 21 customers across nine counties, taking hefty down payments for construction projects he never finished, and now justice appears to be catching up with him; he's pled guilty to 23 counts of theft, telecom fraud, and corrupt activity, "Outright theft from hardworking Ohioans is a sure way to invite legal action from my office," Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said, stressing the state's commitment to consumer protection.
The Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Unit unearthed the economic mischief after painstakingly tracing Needels’ dealings from June 2021 to October 2022. It was found that he extensively used social media as a net to lure in his unwitting victims, getting them to fork over substantial upfront payments for amenities like pole barns and garages that were never built.
Adding salt to the wound, Needels' sentence is also bundled with a 2½-year punishment for breaching the terms of his probation, which was related to former fraud cases in Delaware County, Ohio. Residents who believe Needels might have bilked them can contact the Attorney General's Office through their website at OhioProtects.org or by calling 800-282-0515.
