Former county resident, trial witness David Bliss faces charges in District Court
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
Former county resident, trial witness
David Bliss faces charges in District Court
By BRANDY CHANDLER
The Highland County Press
Former Highland County resident David K. Bliss is currently awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati on charges of aggravated
identity theft, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and influencing or injuring an officer, juror or witness stemming from two separate grand jury indictments. One of the cases alleged Bliss tried to facilitate his release from prison via bond by submitting forged documents to a federal judge that indicated Bliss had been diagnosed with cancer.
Bliss, a former Highland County resident who has served time in prison on fraud-related and other charges, was a key witness during the trials of
former Highland County Common Pleas Court judge Jeffrey Hoskins. Bliss worked with the Highland County Sheriff’s Office and wore a wire during conversations he had with Hoskins, which led to charges of theft and attempted money laundering against the then-judge.
Hoskins was acquitted of all charges after two separate criminal trials.
Bliss testified during the first trial but could not be located to testify during the second trial, according to the Highland County Sheriff’s
Office.
According to court documents from the U.S. District Court, Bliss, and his wife, Darla Bliss, were indicted in April 2009 on seven counts,
including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
While incarcerated on those charges, Bliss was charged with obstruction of the due administration of justice after he allegedly submitted “documents to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, by submitting forged documents to U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett in support of a
motion to set bond, including the following: a forged document that appeared to come from Dermpath Diagnostics purporting to have diagnosed David Bliss
with melanoma cancer; a forged document that appeared to come from David Bliss’s mother ... and a forged document that appeared to come from David Bliss’s daughter.”
On April 15, according to the clerk of courts office of the U.S. District Court in Cincinnati, Bliss pleaded guilty to influencing or
injuring an officer, juror or witness, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
He is currently being held in the Boone County Jail in Kentucky as a federal detainee, awaiting sentencing, which has been scheduled for July 26
before Judge Arthur Spiegel.
Bliss is being represented by court-appointed Cincinnati attorney Scott Rubenstein. Rubenstein declined to comment to The Highland County Press on
the matter.
The first U.S. District Court indictment against Bliss and his wife alleged that between September 2007 and June 14, 2008, they “unlawfully,
knowingly and willfully did combine, conspire, confederate and agree between and among themselves to knowingly execute a scheme and artifice to defraud
and obtain moneys, funds, credits, assets, and property owned by, or under the custody or control of, financial institutions ... by means of false and
fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises.”
It was alleged in the indictment used the name, date of birth and Social Security number of “a person known to the grand jury” and without that
person’s consent, opened credit card accounts with Capital One and HSBC bank; submitted a fraudulent Health Care Power of Attorney to the U.S.
Postal Service and UPS stories in Mason, Ohio to allow mail to be delivered to the Blisses’ mailbox; using an American Express card issued to “a person
known to the grand jury” “obtained things of value aggregating $1,000 or more” and using said device (card) to make purchases up to $6,600,” among
other charges to the card.
Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward told The Highland County Press that there is a pending warrant for Bliss out of Hillsboro Municipal Court,
stemming from a criminal charge in 2003.
“I believe he has some jail time left, less than 30 days, from what was a bigamy charge,” Ward said.
Ward said that no charges are pending as a result of failing to appear to testify, as the court did not find Bliss to be in contempt.
Former Highland County resident David K. Bliss is currently awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati on charges of aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and influencing or injuring an officer, juror or witness stemming from two separate grand jury indictments. One of the cases alleged Bliss tried to facilitate his release from prison via bond by submitting forged documents to a federal judge that indicated Bliss had been diagnosed with cancer.
Bliss, a former Highland County resident who has served time in prison on fraud-related and other charges, was a key witness during the trials of former Highland County Common Pleas Court judge Jeffrey Hoskins. Bliss worked with the Highland County Sheriff’s Office and wore a wire during conversations he had with Hoskins, which led to charges of theft and attempted money laundering against the then-judge.
Hoskins was acquitted of all charges after two separate criminal trials.
Bliss testified during the first trial but could not be located to testify during the second trial, according to the Highland County Sheriff’s Office.
According to court documents from the U.S. District Court, Bliss, and his wife, Darla Bliss, were indicted in April 2009 on seven counts, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
While incarcerated on those charges, Bliss was charged with obstruction of the due administration of justice after he allegedly submitted “documents to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, by submitting forged documents to U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett in support of motion to set bond, including the following: a forged document that appeared to come from Dermpath Diagnostics purporting to have diagnosed David Bliss with melanoma cancer; a forged document that appeared to come from David Bliss’s mother ... and a forged document that appeared to come from David Bliss’s daughter.”
On April 15, according to the clerk of courts office of the U.S. District Court in Cincinnati, Bliss pleaded guilty to influencing or injuring an officer, juror or witness, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
He is currently being held in the Boone County Jail in Kentucky as a federal detainee, awaiting sentencing, which has been scheduled for July 26 before Judge Arthur Spiegel.
Bliss is being represented by court-appointed Cincinnati attorney Scott Rubenstein. Rubenstein declined to comment to The Highland County Press on
the matter.
The first U.S. District Court indictment against Bliss and his wife alleged that between September 2007 and June 14, 2008, they “unlawfully, knowingly and willfully did combine, conspire, confederate and agree between and among themselves to knowingly execute a scheme and artifice to defraud and obtain moneys, funds, credits, assets, and property owned by, or under the custody or control of, financial institutions ... by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises.”
It was alleged in the indictment used the name, date of birth and Social Security number of “a person known to the grand jury” and without that
person’s consent, opened credit card accounts with Capital One and HSBC bank; submitted a fraudulent Health Care Power of Attorney to the U.S. Postal Service and UPS stories in Mason, Ohio to allow mail to be delivered to the Blisses’ mailbox; using an American Express card issued to “a person known to the grand jury” “obtained things of value aggregating $1,000 or more” and using said device (card) to make purchases up to $6,600,” among other charges to the card.
Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward told The Highland County Press that there is a pending warrant for Bliss out of Hillsboro Municipal Court, stemming from a criminal charge in 2003.
“I believe he has some jail time left, less than 30 days, from what was a bigamy charge,” Ward said.
Ward said that no charges are pending as a result of failing to appear to testify, as the court did not find Bliss to be in contempt.