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.

 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:

• Darlens Renard, 31, of North Lauderdale, Florida
• Jasaun Pope, 30, of Valley Stream, New York
• Princess Elizer, 30, of Dallas, Georgia
• Jennifer Glemeau, 28, of Marietta, Georgia
• Kareem Brown, 30, of North Baldwin, New York

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.