Batavia Township man indicted for alleged theft, fraud of victims in numerous states
Cody Winn, 27, of Batavia Township, Clermont County, was indicted Dec. 26 for his alleged role in an internet business scam.
A Clermont County grand jury returned an indictment for Winn on 31 counts of telecommunications fraud, all felonies of the third degree, and 62 counts of theft, all felonies of the fourth degree.
On Oct. 17, 2023, the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit was notified by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) of the State of California about a potential internet scam being conducted by a Batavia Township resident.
The OCSO forwarded a report in which a California resident detailed their interaction with a person named “Cody Clay” from a business called Market Modern LLC. Clay allegedly promised a lucrative investment opportunity, claiming the victim would receive a full return on their initial investment after three months, followed by ongoing profits. The victim provided $25,000 to fund the creation of an automated online store; however, after months without progress, the victim was unable to contact anyone to request a refund.
Upon receiving this report, the CCSO began an investigation and concluded through records that “Cody Clay” was allegedly Winn. Winn was allegedly discovered to be operating an online video channel marketing his business plan to potential clients.
During the investigation, information identified Winn as allegedly responsible for collecting payments from investors and forwarding the funds to a separate organization to help with management. This organization, a global e-commerce company operating across multiple countries, used the repayments to set up and among online stores for the investors, handle inventory, oversee shipping and generate income for both the company and the investors.
Information was confirmed through communication with this company’s staff that Winn had allegedly failed to forward payments to several investors who had entrusted him with their money. The CCSO contacted 31 of these investors, each of whom had paid Winn between $25,000 and $60,000. The investors also reported multiple attempts to contact Winn and his business for a refund but allegedly received no response.
The total amount reported allegedly stolen was $965,000. Alleged victims were located in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
A review of Winn’s bank records between March and September 2023 shows that hundreds of thousands of dollars were allegedly deposited into his accounts. Each month, he allegedly spent between $50,000 and $365,000 on personal purchase and advertisement space for social media platforms. Winn was unwilling to provide a statement to investigating deputies regarding this investigation.
An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt.
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