ATHENS, OHIO – A significant mail fraud scheme in Athens County resulted in prison sentences for three individuals. The scam, impacting over 400 residents, came to light in December 2022 following a complaint about mail theft. Over the next year, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office received multiple reports of stolen mail, leading to misused checks and credit cards. An investigation led deputies to execute search warrants at two residences, one on Byers Road in Nelsonville and another on Pearlwood Road in Athens. This operation resulted in the recovery of thousands of stolen mail items from numerous victims in Athens and Meigs Counties.
On February 21, an Athens County Grand Jury charged Jessica Rae O’Rourke, 39, of Nelsonville; Brionna Mae McDaniel, 25, of Nelsonville; and Joseph Henry O’Rourke, 21, of Albany, with various felonies, including Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, Receiving Stolen Property, Forgery, and Tampering with Evidence. Joseph Henry O’Rourke faced additional charges of Burglary and Receiving Stolen Property for a separate November 2022 incident.
Jessica Rae O’Rourke pleaded guilty on September 20 and received a sentence of four years and eleven months to five years and eleven months. Brionna Mae McDaniel, who pleaded guilty on October 20, was sentenced to ten to twelve and a half years. Joseph Henry O’Rourke pleaded guilty on December 13 to his charges, resulting in a ten to fourteen-year prison term. He also received a twenty-four-month sentence for Burglary and Receiving Stolen Property.