MOUNT VERNON — A former Knox County sheriff’s deputy has pleaded guilty to six felony charges related to theft from an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Tuesday.
"Today’s guilty plea holds the criminals accountable for their financial abuse," Yost said. "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."
Daniel Bobo, of Gambier, 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 is a former deputy sergeant with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. He resigned on Sept. 3, 2021, more than a year before being indicted by a Knox County grand jury on charges related to the case.
Bobo’s wife, Elisabeth Bobo, was also indicted in the case and pleaded guilty 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.
Both Daniel and Elisabeth Bobo will be sentenced on June 22 and are expected to pay restitution upon sentencing.
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 Bobos used a power of attorney granted by the Hoppes to Danial Bobo to access credit cards in the Hoppe’s name and bank accounts that contained the Hoppe’s assets.
The Bobos used more than $500,000 for their own personal expenses. Suffering from dementia attributed to Alzheimer’s disease, Kay Hoppe passed away in 2020 at the age of 78 and Danial 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 our 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, especially, are vulnerable to such crime.
