A Saint Joseph man faces a felony charge in Daviess County after he allegedly attempted to defraud clients by leasing property that did not belong to him. Online court information shows 27 year old Devin Ortman has been charged with stealing $750 or more.
A probable cause statement accuses Ortman of posting a fake ad on Facebook Marketplace enticing buyers to pay him to lease property in Daviess County that did not belong to him. He had leased the property for hunting in 2020.
Ortman allegedly met with a potential customer and had the person transfer money to him through Venmo. The probable cause statement says he stole $100 from the victim in February and $900 in March.
Ortman is then accused of telling the person the land was no longer available to hunt, retaining the money, and stopping communication with the person.
Law enforcement notes it is unknown if there are other victims of the alleged crime, and Ortman has not responded to law enforcement.
It is also noted Ortman has a criminal history of theft and driving while revoked, and he has a history of failing to appear in court.
