Alaska man accused of defrauding people in Ohio, other states of hundreds of thousands of dollars

An Alaska man is accused of defrauding people in Ohio and other states of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Andrew Jensen, 30, of Anchorage, was arraigned Monday in Morgan County Common Pleas Court in McConnelsville, about 82 miles southeast of Columbus.

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He is jailed in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville following his indictment by a Morgan County grand jury on 29 felony counts, including telecommunications fraud, identity fraud, grand theft of a motor vehicle, theft from the elderly, money laundering and misuse of credit cards, according to a release from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Investigators said Jensen lied to people, telling them he was a successful businessman or military veteran, to convince them to give him money, property or services. He also allegedly made misleading statements to obtain loans, lines of credit, vehicles and other goods or services.

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Investigators believe at least 22 people, including an Ohio senior citizen from Morgan County, were affected and that losses total more than $450,000, according to the release.

An attorney with the Ohio Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Unit has been appointed by the Morgan County prosecutor to handle the case as a special prosecutor. The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Unit and Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.

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