DELAWARE, Ohio — A pole barn contractor was sentenced to a minimum of 17 years in prison on March 26 after defrauding consumers of more than $400,000.
Marion resident Ryan C. Needels, owner of Clear View Construction, was convicted of 47 felony counts in the Delaware County Common Pleas Court from an indictment originally filed in August 2023. Needels ran a long-term scheme where he accepted large payments for pole barns and other construction projects, but pocketed the money without completing any work.
The case stemmed from an investigation launched in February 2023 by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and the Economic Crimes Unit in Attorney General Dave Yost’s Consumer Protection Section after multiple consumers filed complaints about Needels and his business.
The investigation revealed that, between June 2021 and October 2022, Needels used social media to attract customers, then coaxed them into paying substantial sums in advance for the construction of pole barns, garages and other home amenities that he never built, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
The investigation was prompted by a civil lawsuit filed by Yost in October 2022 against Needels and Clear View.
Judge Richard Frye, who oversaw the case, heard testimony from 19 victims. The judge called Needels a “predator” who conducted a prolonged scheme to defraud his victims. He ordered Needels to serve 17 to 22 years in prison and pay $448,000 in restitution.
The charges consisted of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, telecommunications fraud, seven counts of money laundering and 38 counts of theft. Needels previously entered a guilty plea deal to some of these charges; the plea was appealed, and the convictions were abandoned.
Ohioans who suspect unfair or deceptive business practices should contact the Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.
