Lucas Co. grand jury indicts man on 6 felonies

Roofer in Maumee charged with theft

10/11/2013

A Maumee roofer was indicted Thursday on six felony charges stemming from multiple 2011 business transactions in which he is believed to have bilked customers out of thousands of dollars.

The first count filed by a Lucas County grand jury cites Christopher Barnes of Barnes Construction Cos. Inc., with theft between $7,500 and $37,500 from an elderly person or disabled adult, a third-degree felony.

In three other counts, Mr. Barnes is charged with fifth-degree theft by deception, charges involving consumer losses of $1,000 to $7,500. In addition, he is charged with fourth-degree grand theft of $7,500 to $150,000 and with third-degree telecommunications fraud of $7,500 to $150,000.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine sued Mr. Barnes and his wife, Christina Barnes, earlier this year on ground that they had engaged in deceptive practices with their business, such as performing shoddy work and receiving money for work that was never performed. The business address was listed as 417 Osage Dr.

That case, which charges the couple and their business with multiple violations of Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practice Act, has been assigned to Judge Frederick McDonald of Lucas County Common Pleas Court.