REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – Delaware County Common Pleas Judge W. Duncan Whitney has sentenced a former auctioneer to 180 days in jail, 500 hours of community service, and five years of probation.
The sentence came after a year-long Ohio Department of Agriculture investigation proved he commingled client and personal monies, failed to remit funds due to consignors and passed bad checks.
Repayment. Dale Devore, former owner and operator of Premier Auction of Columbus, was also ordered to repay $66,086 stolen from clients in Delaware, Franklin and Licking counties.
“We stopped Devore from conducting auction business in Ohio over a year ago to protect the public from being duped, but in these cases, the damage was already done,” Ohio Agriculture Director Fred Dailey said.
“We are pleased to see the victims will receive restitution.”
Oversees auctioneers. The state agriculture department helps assure auctioneers are licensed and act in accordance with the law by investigating complaints, taking administrative action against those not in compliance, administering quarterly test sessions for individual auctioneers and monthly test sessions for apprentices, and reviewing applications and renewals.
The department has revoked two auctioneer licenses, including Devore’s, since it began administering the program in October 2001.
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