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Akron's Jana DeLoach is named as an unindicted co-conspirator
By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Sep 18, 2008
An Akron lawyer has been named with others as an alleged conspirator in a 106-count indictment charging 19 individuals with mortgage fraud in Summit County.
The 19 individuals were formally charged earlier this month with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, money laundering, telecommunications fraud, theft and other alleged offenses, according to the 35-page indictment, the Ohio attorney general's office said.
The lawyer, Jana DeLoach, ''conducted or participated'' in the alleged criminal enterprise ''either directly or indirectly,'' the indictment states.
Although it does not say how DeLoach allegedly was involved, the indictment includes her as part of ''a continuing course of conduct'' that occurred in Summit County from Aug. 1, 2004, through March 29, 2007.
DeLoach said Wednesday she has not done anything wrong and cannot respond directly to the indictment's allegations, because she has no knowledge of what they are.
''I need more information to get to the bottom of what they're claiming I did,'' she said.
A spokeswoman for the Summit County
prosecutor's office referred a request for comments to the attorney general's office in Columbus.
Veteran defense lawyers who viewed the indictment at the county courthouse Wednesday said it means that DeLoach, although not yet formally charged with a criminal offense, was named as an unindicted co-conspirator.
Laurie Cramer, spokeswoman for Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh, said the prosecution is being handled by the attorney general's office for two reasons.
Summit County prosecutors already are heavily involved in preparing for the trial of former Evergreen Corp. President David B. Willan, who is the focus of a 146-count indictment alleging widespread mortgage fraud in the Akron area, Cramer said.
The second reason, she said, is that Walsh wants to avoid possible claims of conflict of interest in prosecuting DeLoach.
In recent years, DeLoach was defense counsel in high-profile cases involving Clarence Elkins and teen gang member Tyree Feaster — both prosecuted by Walsh's office.
''There are a lot of people at the prosecutor's office who don't like me,'' DeLoach said. ''I have to say I wish this would have surprised me, but it did not.
''I believe that, because I've questioned many of the things they've done — and still plan on questioning many more of the things they've done — they're out to get me.
''That's why they called in the AG's office. They don't want it to look like they're trying to do something to me,'' DeLoach said.
Elkins served nearly eight years in prison for the 1998 murder and rape of Judith Johnson, 58, of Barberton and the rape and beating of her granddaughter.
But DNA evidence later vindicated Elkins and led to the conviction of Earl Gene Mann, who pleaded guilty to the crimes last month.
Elkins obtained the DNA evidence himself by snatching a cigarette butt from Mann while they were inmates at Mansfield Correctional Institution. Elkins then turned over the cigarette butt to DeLoach for scientific testing.
Feaster, who turned 18 in January, is serving 13 years in adult prison for involuntary manslaughter and violations of his juvenile court plea agreement in the fatal Cage nightclub shooting.
Shawrica Lester, 18, was killed outside the East Market Street teen club in January 2007, during an exchange of gunfire by rival gang members.
DeLoach represented Feaster in juvenile court proceedings and in an unsuccessful appeal of his sentence in Akron's 9th District Court of Appeals.
It was DeLoach who revealed that county prosecutors failed to get a specific written agreement requiring Feaster to testify in future Cage cases. Feaster was called to the stand against other Cage defendants, refused to testify and was found in contempt.
Garrick D. Feaster, Tyree Feaster's older brother, is one of the principal targets of the 106-count mortgage-fraud indictment by the attorney general's office.
''This enterprise functioned to inflate the value of houses in the Summit County area through a pattern of false appraisals and falsified mortgage applications,'' the indictment says.
State and county officials said during a Sept. 8 news conference that the Summit County mortgage-fraud case involved the theft of more than $1 million and 16 property transactions.
Officials in the attorney general's office did not return messages seeking comment.
In other developments in the Summit County case, eight of the 19 under indictment were arraigned Wednesday on multiple felony charges during an appearance before a county magistrate.
Arraigned were Karmen Beckett, Lizrae V. Benford, Adam DeStefanis, Naketia S. Johnson, Alfred B. Jones, Richard Putnam, Anthony W. Ramsey and Crystal L. Tyler.
DeLoach was named as an alleged conspirator in the various charges against Garrick Feaster and four of the eight defendants who were arraigned, according to the indictment.
Ed Meyer can be reached at 330-996-3784 or emeyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
An Akron lawyer has been named with others as an alleged conspirator in a 106-count indictment charging 19 individuals with mortgage fraud in Summit County.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 07:27 AM, 09/18/2008
This figures. More nonsense from Sheri Bevan Walsh. Somehow the ABJ has a copy of the charges but DeLoach does not? Don't even bother trying to convince me this isn't payback for Clarence Elkins. The fact remains that Bevan Walsh fought to keep and kept Elkins in jail for 6 months AFTER she had DNA evidence in hand proving he didn't commit the crimes he was convicted of. No amount of payback acccsations will change that fact. SHERI BEVAN WALSH MUST GO!
Posted 07:57 AM, 09/18/2008
Maybe she accepted legal fees from Feaster's brother for Feaster's defense, and had some knowledge of where the $$ came from? That's my best guess at their theory, who knows. Still, it looks like the Summit Co. Prosecutors jumped on this one out of sheer spite, regardless of the merits. I'm sure that they are relishing dragging this attorney's name through the mud.
akron, oh
Posted 08:29 AM, 09/18/2008
I suppose this is why we have the concept of presumed innocence. Some will automatically presume that DeLoach is guilty of something. Others will presume that Bevan Walsh is up to something. The best idea is to wait and see. DeLoach has not been charged as of this time yet her name was included in an indictment. If the AG's office is brave enough to name her but not brave enough to actually charge her what does that mean as to their confidence of the allegations overall? Are they trying to break the will of the relatively weak and afraid to take on DeLoach head on? I don't know, but I wonder.
Posted 08:34 AM, 09/18/2008
WOW!! 2 Attorny's going down this week, dope and fraud.
Akron, oh
Posted 10:00 AM, 09/18/2008
Which scumbag defense attorney will we see next in the news? It takes someone with a lack of morals and ethics to represent some of these guys. It is no surprise that some of them are delving into criminal enterprise. Notice I did say some, not all of the defense attorneys are bad.
Posted 02:26 PM, 09/18/2008
Pignatelli never charged either.
Posted 07:54 PM, 09/18/2008
A Pig is still a PIG !!!! Sincerely, Paul D.Brown
Posted 11:07 AM, 09/19/2008
Couldn't happen to a slimier attorney. Ha.
Posted 11:49 AM, 09/19/2008
I have known Jana Deloach for many year and I know charges are erroneous. To me and many others Jana has been a "Cause Attorney", one that is in the legal profession to fight for the little people, fight for the individuals who have been wronged and can't take care of themselves. She definitely isn't in it for the money. Jana has been a "Cause Fighter" many years before she became an attorney. With these qualities Jana has been in many heated legal confrontations helping others in the court room. While doing this and being successful it has put buckets of mud in the face of those trying to pull her into the middle of their charges. This is WRONG. I have recently heared a prospective VP call herself a "Pit Bull with Lipstick". I am not sure if Palin is a Pit Bull but I assure you that Deloach is. It is time for Deloach to disengage her leash and become a "Cause Fighter" for her own good this time. I am sure she will.
Posted 10:00 AM, 09/20/2008
This story is fantastic. I hope DeLoach is incarcerated.
macon, ga
Posted 09:37 PM, 09/21/2008
from a city cop to whatever any member of the law enforcement does no wrong. let her go and be on your way
