Charges were dismissed Friday against a Meeker man charged last month with obtaining money by false pretenses for allegedly defrauding two elderly Shawnee women of $7,700 for unnecessary roof repairs. Prosecutors are seeking further investigation in the case.
Michael Shane Helms, 34, was charged Feb. 17 with two felony counts in Pottawatomie County District Court.
Friday, he appeared in court for a preliminary hearing, where a judge determines if there’s enough evidence for a case to proceed.
That hearing wasn’t held. First Assistant District Attorney Russ Cochran asked for dismissal of Helms’ charges pending further investigation into the case, he said.
The case is being sent back to the Shawnee Police Department to follow additional leads, he said.
In count one, Helms was accused of obtaining $3,000 from an 88-year-old Shawnee woman Dec. 29 by means of false representation, with intent to cheat and defraud her, charges show.
In count two, he was accused of defrauding another elderly Shawnee woman of $4,700 on Dec. 31, charges allege.
The Shawnee Police Department began investigating the case as fraud and exploitation of the elderly.
Detective Ethan Rieves’ reports show the first woman, age 88, said two men came to her residence with one advising she needed roof work done.
After the suspect wrote out an estimate, reports show he allegedly made a cell phone call and had the elderly woman speak to another person who claimed to be an insurance agent from her provider. That man told her to have the work done, the report shows, so the woman paid for the work with two checks that were allegedly made out to Helms.
The woman assumed the men would begin work on the roof, but after a couple minutes, they left without doing any repairs, police reports show. The woman contacted her insurance agency, who said no one had talked to her.
The second case involved an 81-year-old woman who has Alzheimer’s. In that case, the woman assumed one of her family members had sent the man to repair her roof. She wrote a $4,700 check, but no repairs were done, the report said.
All of the checks were cashed, according to case paperwork.
Helms was arrested on complaints for these cases Feb. 6.
While the charges have been dismissed in this case, prosecutors could consider refiling charges anytime in the next three years depending on the outcome of the additional investigation.
Records show Helms is currently incarcerated for an unrelated Lincoln County case filed in March 2008.
Court records show Helms was sentenced Feb. 9 to serve three years in prison on a charge of lewd acts or proposal to a minor, an amended charge from the original filing of rape, first degree.
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
