In inmate at the Ohio Reformatory for Women is facing additional prison time after allegedly sending threats to the county prosecutor.
A Union County Grand Jury has indicted Amy Elizabeth Resch, 28. Resch is charged with one count each of intimidation of attorney, victim or witness in a criminal case and retaliation.
Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said he received a letter from Resch with, “an alleged threat against this office and against me.”
“The letter threatened a variety of calamities against me, personally, for opposing her judicial release,” Phillips said.
He said the letter allegedly threatened that Resch would “shoot or stab” Phillips.
“That’s about all I can say, because most of the specifics are not appropriate for print,” he said.
Resch was sent to prison in August 2010 after being convicted of assault and felonious assault in Montgomery County.
In April 2015, Resch was indicted on one count each of harassment with a bodily substance and assault. At the time, a nurse was treating Resch when the inmate attacked her. Resch hit the nurse on the head, hit her in the face and spit on her.
She was sentenced to an additional 24 months in prison for the crimes. In April 2017, Resch applied for judicial release, a petition Phillips and the state opposed.
In his opposition, Phillips wrote that Resch was “far from a model inmate.” He explained that Resch was a high-risk offender and had not completed any therapeutic programs while in prison. He said that she had “encouraged or started a disturbance” and had physically resisted direct orders on multiple occasions.
“The defendant’s conduct has not been appropriate in prison,” Phillips wrote. “She has failed to follow the rules and regulations in prison.”
He wrote that based on her conduct, it did not appear judicial release or community control would be appropriate for Resch.
Phillips said Resch had allegedly targeted him because of his opposition to her judicial release.
Because Phillips is the alleged victim in the case, Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson is handling the case against Resch.
Resch is scheduled for release in July. If convicted on all counts, she could face an additional 10 years in prison.
The grand jury also indicted Helen Loise Bega, 34, and Dennis Bega, 39, both of 20314 Route 47, Raymond. The husband and wife have each been charged with one count of theft from a person in a protected class and one count of receiving stolen property.
Phillips said the victim is a 76-year-old relative of Helen Bega. He said the woman has been diagnosed with dementia. Helen Bega was given medical power of attorney for the woman, and was also given some control of the woman’s credit union account. Phillips said that in less than one month, the account was drawn from more than $7,000 to less than $1,000.
Other family members became concerned about the woman and contacted law enforcement.
Investigators determined the Begas allegedly stole more than $8,200 from the woman.
Phillips said that medical power of attorney gives the holder some authority, but not over financial matters. He said the authority also comes with responsibility.
“Anytime you have any power of attorney, you are bound by an obligation,” Phillips said. “You have to be acting in your ward’s best interest.
If convicted on all charges, both Helen Bega and Dennis Bega could face as many as six and a half years in prison.
Phillips has been a strong advocate, state wide, for elder abuse awareness. He said when most people think of defrauding the elderly, they think about the traditional phone, mail or email scams.
“Those scams obviously are out there and they are a problem, but what we see a lot of times is we see family members who are victimizing family members and disabled adults,” Phillips said. “I think most people feel we have an obligation to care for and protect the elderly, especially elderly family members. It is particularly infuriating when you see a family member taking advantage of an elderly person or a disabled adult.”