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A Malta man was sentenced Friday on dozens of theft charges in Washington County Common Pleas Court.
Patrick Louis Wilson, also known as Patrick Louis Eltringham, 29, of 3377 Cordray Road, Malta, was sentenced on 70 charges, including 68 counts of theft that added up to more than $400,000.
He was convicted for accepting large downpayments from 34 different victims, including four elderly people from January 2017 through June 2019, for building materials that he never delivered.
He was sentenced by Judge Mark Kerenyi so serve eight years in prison with possible early release and a mandatory five years of post release control and ordered to pay $413,750.31in restitution.
Multiple victims showed up Friday to provide statements on the record of how the fraud had effected their families and inform the judge that they hoped to see Wilson serve time and not receive a community control release.
Shawna Landacre, Wilson's defense attorney, did ask the judge for a sentence of five years of community control, providing information that she felt proved Wilson would not re-offend, including that he has a job (where he does not handle the money) and has paid $21,975 to the courts to go towards restitution so far.
"We are talking about what I've done, but you can look and also see what I'm doing," said Wilson, when he spoke during Friday's sentencing. "I just want the chance to be with my wife and five children whom I have neglected for so long."
Wilson pleaded for one chance, saying that if he missed a payment the court could give him the maximum sentence of 11 years.
Kerenyi said that he "felt like a victim" while listening to Wilson say that he was changed and would not reoffend because he had "found God."
It was noted in court that some of the offenses happened while Wilson was on bond previously, so he already has a history of reoffending, and in the end Kerenyi sentenced Wilson to serve time in prison.
Madeline Scarborough can be reached at mscarborough@newsandsentinel.com