MOUNT VERNON – Former Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Bobo pled guilty on six felony charges related to theft from an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.
“Today’s guilty plea holds the criminals accountable for their financial abuse,” Yost said, according to a press release from his office. “The theft charge alone in this case carries a potential sentence of up to 11 years in prison and a $50,000 fine – a punishment that should serve as a deterrent to anyone thinking about ripping off a senior citizen.”
Bobo, a Gambier resident, pleaded guilty to theft, a first-degree felony; three counts of telecommunications fraud, third- and fourth-degree felonies and two counts of misuse of credit cards, a second-degree felony.
Bobo resigned from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department on Sept. 3, 2021, after an indictment in the case.
His wife, Elisabeth Bobo, was also indicted in the case. She entered guilty pleas on April 18 to one count of misuse of credit cards, a fourth-degree felony, and one count of telecommunication fraud, a fifth-degree felony, the release reported.
They will be sentenced on June 22 and are expected to pay restitution upon sentencing.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the Bobos befriended Kay and Richard Hoppe and helped the elderly couple move into a Mount Vernon nursing home. After Richard Hoppe died in 2018, the couple used a power of attorney granted by the Hoppes to Daniel Bobo to access credit cards in Hoppe’s name and bank accounts that contained the Hoppe’s assets. The Bobos used more than $500,000 for their own personal expenses, according to the release.
Kay Hoppe died in 2020 at the age of 78 after suffering from dementia attributed to Alzheimer’s disease. Daniel Bobo was named the executor of the estate.
The attorney general’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) investigated the case, and the Special Prosecutions Section of Yost’s office is prosecuting the case.
May is Older Americans Month, designed to recognize the achievements of older Ohioans. It is also a reminder to be vigilant in protecting elders against fraud and abuse.
The Elder Justice Unit – a collaborative effort of the attorney general’s Crime Victim Services, Consumer Protection, Health Care Fraud and Social Prosecutions sections and BCI – works to educate Ohioans about the warning signs and risks of financial exploitation. Elderly people are vulnerable to such crimes, according to the Elder Justice Unit.
