83-year-old man convicted of killing Uber driver who he wrongly thought was scamming him

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A jury found an 83-year-old Ohio man guilty of shooting and killing an Uber driver he mistakenly thought was trying to rob him. scam phone calls He cheated on both of them.

William J. Brock shot and killed the driver Authorities said he mistakenly assumed he was involved in a conspiracy to obtain $12,000 in so-called bond money for a relative.

Driver I fell victim to the same scammerAccording to investigators, he was heading to Brock’s home between Dayton and Columbus to pick up a package for delivery.

Brock shot the driver, 61-year-old Lo-Letha Toland-Hall, of the Columbus suburb of Dublin, six times when she arrived at his home in March 2024, authorities said.

Brock, of South Charleston, was found guilty Wednesday of murder, aggravated assault and kidnapping. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week. A message seeking comment was left for his attorney.

Brock’s lawyer said the attack was in self-defense and that the scammer had made threats against him and his family. Brock testified during the hearing that he felt threatened when the driver pulled up to his home.

But prosecutors said Hall was unarmed and posed no threat when Brock shot him. Investigators said the driver was unaware of the scam call Brock received with threats and demands for money.

Both families lost loved ones to fraud, Clark County Prosecutor Daniel Driscoll told reporters after the verdict.

“The really sad part about this is that we know there are still criminals out there,” he said. “We know the crooks who started this have not been brought to justice.”