Troy woman sentenced to probation in $40,000 theft from friend

Amanda Shellenberger ordered to make partial restitution in case
Miami County Courthouse

Miami County Courthouse

TROY — A Troy woman charged with using a friend’s credit card to obtain thousands of dollars in cash and multiple orders through Amazon was sentenced to five years of probation and restitution for a portion of the financial loss.

Amanda M. Shellenberger, 42, was indicted last year by a Miami County grand jury on a felony count of theft. The indictment accused her of knowingly obtaining control over property without the consent of its owner between Aug. 15, 2021, and Feb. 1, 2022. The fourth-degree felony charge listed the value at more than $7,500 but less than $150,000.

A report filed by the victim with the sheriff’s office estimated the loss at “somewhere around $40,000.”

The loss included several transactions through the app Venmo, and Amazon orders allegedly delivered to Shellenberger’s address, the report stated.

The victim said the credit card account number apparently was stolen when she allowed Shellenberger to use her card to buy items at a hobby store.

Shellenberger later pleaded guilty to theft in Common Pleas Court.

Shellenberger told Judge Stacy Wall at sentencing March 23 she wanted to apologize. She said she was going through a divorce and dealing with health issues at the time.

Wall said those situations didn’t mean that “you can buy anything you want off of Amazon ... It isn’t like you were buying medication.”

Wall said she didn’t know how the agreed-to restitution amount came to fruition, noting the thefts caused serious financial harm.

Shellenberger was eligible for mandatory probation because she had no prior criminal record. She also was ordered to perform 40 hours of community service and to undergo a mental health assessment and any recommended treatment. If she violates terms of the probation, she could be sentenced to 14 months in prison.

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