T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Belmont County Commissioner Mark Thomas describes upcoming fire hydrant replacement in Bellaire, to be completed with the assistance of Community Development Block Grant funding.

Former Belmont County Commissioner Mark Thomas was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison. Thomas, who earlier had pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud, was sentenced before U.S. Southern District of Ohio Chief Judge Algenon L. Marbley.

Thomas pleaded guilty to mail fraud in a case where he was accused of defrauding an elderly client of his former law firm while serving as her power of attorney, taking her money without her knowledge or permission and using it for his own benefit.

The fraud occurred from 2012 to 2019. The indictment against Thomas stated he improperly used his power of attorney and status as a lawyer, even after his law license was revoked in 2015 to convince banks, life insurance companies and other organizations to transfer the client’s money for his use.

Thomas, through his attorney, had requested a sentence of 4 years, 3 months, asking Marbley to consider his age and health issues.