A Clermont County man was indicted Thursday in a fraud scheme that stole nearly $1 million from dozens of victims across multiple states.
Cody Winn, 27, was indicted by a grand jury on 31 counts of telecommunications fraud and 62 counts of theft, all of which are felony charges, according to a news release from the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office.
The total amount reported stolen was $965,500, the news release said. Victims of the scheme were located in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
In October 2023, the sheriff’s office investigative unit was notified by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in California about a “potential internet scam” being conducted by a Batavia Township resident.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office forwarded a report in which a California resident detailed their interaction with a person named “Cody Clay” from a business called “Market Modern LLC.” The report said Clay promised a lucrative investment opportunity, claiming the victim would receive a full return on their initial investment after three months, followed by ongoing profits.
The victim provided $25,000 to fund the creation of an automated Amazon store, but after months without progress, the victim was unable to contact anyone to request a refund.
The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office then began an investigation and concluded through records that “Cody Clay” was Winn, who was discovered to be operating a YouTube channel marketing his business plan to potential clients.
During the investigation, information identified Winn as responsible for collecting payments from investors and forwarding the funds to a separate organization, a global e-commerce company operating across multiple countries, to help with management, the news release said.
Victim testimonies indicated that Winn was involved in this operation between March and October of 2023. Information was confirmed through communication with the company’s staff that Winn had failed to forward payments to several investors who had entrusted him with their money.
The sheriff’s office contacted 31 of these investors, each of whom had paid Winn between $25,000 and $60,000. The investors also reported multiple attempts to contact Winn and his business for a refund but received no response.
A review of Winn’s bank records between March and September 2023 shows that hundreds of thousands of dollars were deposited into his accounts. Each month, he spent between $50,000 and $365,000 on personal purchases and advertisement space for social media platforms. Winn was unwilling speak with the sheriff’s office regarding the investigation.
Winn was arrested Thursday by the sheriff’s office and transported to the Clermont County Jail, where he remains incarcerated without bond. He is set to be arraigned before Clermont County Common Pleas Judge Anthony Brock on Friday.
It could not be determined Thursday evening if Winn has an attorney.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Clermont County man charged in multi-state fraud scheme