A Marion man has been sentenced to at least 17 years in prison after defrauding customers of over $400,000.
Ryan C. Needels, the owner of Clear View Construction, was convicted of 47 charges relating to his construction business. The charges included money laundering, corruption, telecommunications fraud, and 38 counts of theft. Needels was indicted by the Delaware County Common Pleas Court in August 2023.
According to a press statement accusing Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Needels collected substantial payments for pole barns and other projects but pocketed the victims’ money.
Judge Richard Frye sentenced Needels to 17 to 22 years in prison and ordered him to pay $448,000 in restitution.
During his trial, 19 victims testified, and Frye considered many of their victim-impact statements during sentencing.
“Forty-seven convictions speak for themselves,” Yost said, according to the release. “Victims were heard and justice was served.”
Needles had already pleaded guilty to several of the counts, but the convictions were overturned on appeal.