Attorney General announces Traveling Scam Artists Indicted On Racketeering Charges

CHILLICOTHE – A Ross County Grand Jury has indicted two Crooksville, Tenn., brothers on racketeering charges for allegedly leading an organized criminal operation in which they collected payment from elderly victims in four central Ohio counties for home-improvement services that were never completed, Attorney General Jim Petro and Ross County Prosecutor Scott Nusbaum announced.

Nick and Jack Lovell were indicted on one count each of racketeering, a second-degree felony. The two allegedly led an operation in which elderly victims in Franklin, Licking, Madison and Ross counties paid thousands of dollars for home-improvement work that was never done. In some cases, the elderly residents were victimized multiple times.

“This clearly illustrates why you should be very careful when selecting a contractor to do home-improvement work,” Petro said. “Never blindly place your trust in someone who knocks on the door out of the blue looking for a quick payday.”

Dave Kessler, a victim advocate from Petro’s Child and Elder Protection Section, assisted Nusbaum in reviewing the victims’ claims and questioning the Lovell brothers. Nusbaum is prosecuting the case against the Lovells.