Dayton man claims he was paid to be in scam

CELINA - A 54-year-old Dayton man claims he was homeless and became caught up in a ring of people who paid him to take part in a check-forgery scheme using the account of local livestock companies.

Timothy E. Frazier was sentenced on Wednesday to a total of 12 months in prison by Mercer County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Ingraham for his involvement in the scheme.

He was given 12 months each for forgery and theft charges, both fifth-degree felonies. Ingraham said he could serve the sentences concurrently with a 12-month prison term he'd already received for a similar offense in Auglaize County.

Ingraham said the presentence report stated Frazier did not show sufficient remorse for his crimes. Frazier's attorney, Rob C. Wiesenmayer, protested, however, asserting that his client had cooperated with authorities throughout his case. He said Frazier had become involved with a small group of people from Dayton that took homeless men with criminal and drug histories off the street and sent them to different banks to pass the bad checks. In return the homeless men would receive a small percentage of the money received to purchase drugs.

Wiesenmayer said his client would gladly testify against these unnamed men if they are captured and tried.

Frazier on Oct. 24 accepted a plea agreement.