Columbus, OH — Brenda Free, a former executive officer of the Scioto Valley Association of Realtors, has been indicted by a Ross County grand jury on charges related to embezzlement and forgery, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
The indictment includes two felony counts: theft, a fourth-degree felony, and forgery, a fifth-degree felony. Free, 58, of Chillicothe, is accused of embezzling $53,968 from the association and forging a $1,500 check using her secretary’s signature for personal gain.
The Scioto Valley Association of Realtors, which operates in Jackson, Pike, Ross, and Vinton counties, reported the alleged theft. The case has been taken up by the Economic Crimes Unit within Yost’s Consumer Protection Section, who will handle both the investigation and prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is a formal charge and does not equate to a conviction. Brenda Free is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
