Mother and daughter indicted in phony inheritance scam

The Brown County grand jury handed indictments on Thursday, Nov 5 against two women accused of depriving money and items from several victims in a phony inheritance scam.

The indictments allege Shannin Donaldson, age 46, and Amanda Stevens, age 27, primarily targeted elderly/disabled persons in a series of scams in Brown County from around January 2013 to March 2015.

Investigators have identified at least four separate victims of the mother-daughter duo.

In one case, Donaldson and Stevens are accused of bilking up to $400,000 in cash and items from a man on Delhi-Arnheim Rd in Franklin Township.

Between November 2014 and February 2015 the two were employed as his caregivers, and had told him that Donaldson is expecting a large inheritance. Donaldson promised the man that if he would help them pay for fees and other expenses to settle the probate estate, she would pay him from her portion of the inheritance.

Eventually after the two kept asking for more money and making excuses on why the case has still not been settled, the man went to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators were able to determine the probate estate did not exist and the individuals supposedly giving Donaldson the inheritance were in fact still alive.

As a result of the investigation, Shannin Donaldson and Amanda Stevens have been indicted on one count of second-degree felony theft from a person in a protected class, two counts of third-degree felony theft from a person in a protected class, and one count of fourth-degree felony grand theft.

Both suspects remain at large at this time.

Woman sentenced for involuntary manslaughter in overdose death

Brandy Keith
Brandy Keith

Brandy Keith, age 34, of Pike Township, Brown County, was sentenced to four years in prison following a conviction of involuntary manslaughter in the overdose death of Terry Day, Brown County Court of Common Pleas reported on Wednesday, Nov 4.

Last April, Brandy Keith and Terry Day had arranged to ride together to buy heroin in Cincinnati, and used some of the product while waiting at a traffic light on the drive back. During the car ride, Day became unresponsive and was hurriedly dropped off by Keith at his mother’s home.

The mother called 911, but Day died. A medical examiner ruled ethanol and heroin intoxication as the cause of death following an autopsy.

In June, Day’s mother helped Brown County Sheriff’s Office identify Keith as the woman who had dropped him off at her home. She told investigators she was driving around and recognized the vehicle Keith dropped off Day with, a 1998 Chevrolet Prizm registered to her husband, parked outside of Keith’s home on New Harmony-Shiloh Rd, Pike Township.

Keith admitted to investigators she took Day to Cincinnati to buy heroin on several occasions, and she also had sold him Subutex, which she had a prescription for.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Keith’s home to collect evidence in the investigation. Chemicals used in manufacturing methamphetamine were seized inside of the home.

The grand jury of Brown County returned an indictment against Brandy Keith on Aug 13, charging her with two counts of first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter, one count of second-degree felony corrupting another with drugs, one count of fifth-degree felony trafficking in heroin, second-degree felony trafficking in buprenorphine, and third-degree felony illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs.

The court found Keith guilty on one count of first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter, dismissing the other charges. She was sentenced to four years confinement in the Ohio Department of Corrections, court costs and should receive “Thinking for Change and substance abuse counseling.” Keith was also ordered to forfeit the burgundy 1998 Chevrolet Prizm she used in the offense.

Georgetown Police arrest man in stabbing incident

Jack Ramsey Russell
Jack Ramsey Russell

Georgetown Police arrested a man this morning after he allegedly stabbed a friend that refused to give him money.

According to records filed in the Brown County Municipal Court, police were called to a report of a stabbing around 01:55am Saturday, Oct 31, at a home on South Apple Street in the village of Georgetown.

However, police were unable to locate any stabbing victims at the home.

After spending some time searching, police eventually located a man on a bicycle who claimed he saw the men arguing, but left before the stabbing occurred. He told police Jack Ramsey Russell, age 27, was one of the men involved in the argument and could be found at his residence at 311 South Apple Street.

During a consented search of Russell’s home, police recovered a black knife with a 5-inch blade.

Russell was taken in for questioning and partially admitted to stabbing his friend, saying that someone who “has kept out of trouble for so long” should be given a second chance, police said.

According to police, Russell initially tried to say the victim stabbed himself during an argument, and he received an injury trying to block the knife as the victim attempted to also stab him.

Police eventually located the victim. He told them Russell and the man on the bicycle were visiting at his home on Grisham Road, and after he brought them back to Russell’s house, Russell pulled a knife saying he wanted money from him.

The victim told police he was stabbed in the shoulder when he did not give Russell any money.

Russell was arrested and booked into the Brown County Adult Detention Center on second-degree felony assault.

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Brown County Crime Reporter Oct 31, 2015 10:52 AM EST

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