Mark Thomas, former Belmont County commissioner, attorney, jailed on federal mail fraud charges
Allegedly stole more than $500K from client
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Mark Thomas, a former St. Clairsville attorney and past Belmont County commissioner, was arrested Tuesday morning, charged with the federal offense of mail fraud.
Belmont County Jail officials confirmed that Thomas was in custody early Tuesday. He is being held without bond while waiting for federal authorities to pick him up. The jail website states he is charged with felony mail fraud.
Thomas, 61, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury for crimes related to stealing more than $500,000 from an elderly woman with dementia while acting as her power of attorney. The indictment charges four counts of mail fraud. Thomas faces up to 20 years in prison for the federal crimes.
According to the indictment, Thomas is accused of defrauding a client from 2012 through August 2019 while serving as her power of attorney. It is alleged that Thomas took the victim's money without her knowledge or permission to use for his own benefit.
The woman was 85 years old at the time the alleged crimes began. The indictment states that Thomas improperly used the victim's power of attorney and his status as a lawyer -- even after his law license was revoked in 2015 - to convince various entities, including banks and life insurance companies, to transfer the victim's money for his use.
Thomas has not responded to calls seeking comment on the charges.