Former Delta man indicted on grand theft, other charges

3/18/2005

WAUSEON - A former Delta man accused of accepting $10,000 as a down payment to put a new roof on First Church of God in Wauseon and disappearing without doing the work was indicted for grand theft by deception and five other charges by the Fulton County grand jury Wednesday.

Timothy L. Turi, 45, who is now thought to be living in Fort Myers, Fla., agreed in August to put a new roof on the North Fulton Street church at a cost of almost $25,000, and the church gave him a $10,000 down payment, said Lynn Mininger, chairman of the church trustees.

Mr. Turi hired a subcontractor for a small part of the project, which was to cost about $2,500, and the subcontractor did that work. So the grand theft by deception charge, a fourth-degree felony, against Mr. Turi lists depriving the church of $7,500.

Mr. Turi, however, did not pay the subcontractor as agreed and so the church did, thus paying for the work twice, Mr. Mininger said.

Mr. Turi also was indicted for:

●One count of theft and one count of breaking and entering, both fifth-degree felonies, in connection with cash and inventory valued at almost $1,500 taken from Forrest Auto Supply in Delta last winter.

●Two counts of theft by deception, both fifth-degree felonies, in connection with Raul Arredondo and Steve Ebersole each being deprived of $2,500 late last summer.

●One count of insurance fraud, a fourth-degree felony, in connection with an incident in 2000 with State Farm Fire & Casualty Co.