Local News
Indiana Central News
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
By Lucy Perry Indiana Central News SULLIVAN COUNTY- Two teenagers are dead following a crash with a semi truck in Sullivan County Thursday afternoon. Shelby Horton, 18, of Carlisle, died shortly after being transported to a Terre Haute hospital. Her passenger, Connor Rodriguez, 16, also of Carlisle, was dead at the scene. Truck driver Timothy Sarver, 38, of Terre Haute, was not injured in the accident. According to the report, Horton was driving a 2002 Pontiac eastbound on S.R. 58 just before 2 p.m.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Matt Ames explained that investigation revealed Horton disregarded a stop sign at S.R. 58 and U.S. 41. He added that "she then drove into the direct path" of the 2007 International semi tractor-trailer. Assisting Agencies: Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department Sullivan County Coroner's Office, SCAT ambulance service, Haddon Township Volunteer Fire Department and Sullivan City Fire Department. ![]() By Lucy Perry Indiana Central News INDIANAPOLIS – Thousands of dollars in cash was recently collected by members of a fraud scheme targeting several elderly victims. In each case, officials say the victims were allegedly misled to believe their relatives were in serious trouble. Now, the group of five suspects -- whom had allegedly traveled the country to collect the money -- are being charged in connection to the scheme -- according to the United States Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Indiana. Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress announced today the federal charges and arrests of the five individuals for their roles in a nationwide elder fraud conspiracy. Each were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering:
Numerous victims have lost more than $350,000 since April 2020, the press release states. In fact, an 82-year-old woman from Crawfordsville, Indiana, "was told that her daughter had been in an accident and was in legal trouble, because a gun was found in her vehicle. In addition to asking for money, the caller allegedly told the victim that there was a 'gag order' in her daughter’s case, to prevent the victim from sharing the story with others. In two shipments, the Crawfordsville victim sent a total of $12,500 in cash to the defendants," according to the complaint. The defendants reportedly traveled to a city, identified unoccupied residences where overnight packages could be sent. Calls were placed to elderly victims, informing them that their grandchild or other relative had an urgent legal or medical problem and needed money immediately. "The caller, who often claimed to be an attorney, police officer, or other authority figure, told the victim to send an overnight delivery of cash—typically between $5,000 and $15,000—to the address the defendants provided," according to the press release. The Department of Justice has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. According to Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Linder and MaryAnn Mindrum, who are prosecuting this case for the government, each of the co-conspirators faces up to 20 years in prison on each charge if indicted and convicted.
This investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Metro Drug Task Force. The investigation was supported by the Baltimore Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chicago Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and state and local law enforcement partners in Orleans, Massachusetts; Bartonville, Illinois; Starkville, Mississippi; New York, New York; Ossining, New York; Westchester County, New York; Delaware County, Ohio; Hermantown, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Sumter County, South Carolina; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Sumner County, Tennessee; Hurst, Texas; and Richmond, Virginia. |
Lucy Perry
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© Indiana Central News. All rights reserved. Terre Haute, Indiana
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News Writer: Lucy Perry
EMAIL: lperrynews@gmail.com |