Lordstown police arrest couple and boy in Lordstown fundraising scam

Staff report

LORDSTOWN

Lordstown police have charged two Warren Township residents with carrying out a bogus popcorn fundraiser in the village during the last three months of last year.

Police picked up Brian Billman, 33, and Christina L. Hill, 34, both of 2018 Tod Ave. SW, on Friday — taking them to the Trumbull County Jail to await arraignment Monday morning in Newton Falls Municipal Court.

Billman is charged with nine counts of felony theft and 11 misdemeanor theft counts. Hill is charged with one misdemeanor theft count. They were arrested at a residence on Maryland Street Northeast.

Hill, Billman and a boy dressed in a Warren Troop 101 Boy Scouts uniform, sold the popcorn in Lordstown and at least two other communities, taking cash payments up front but never delivering the popcorn.

Detective Chris Bordonaro said help from the Boy Scouts of America Western Reserve Council in Warren as well as Troop 101 of Warren helped investigators identify suspects in the case.

A 14-year-old family member, who belonged to Boy Scout Troop 101 several years ago, was taken to the Trumbull County Juvenile Justice Center, also charged in the scam.

Bordonaro said the Boy Scouts typically send out fundraising materials to each member of the Boy Scouts and allow the local troop to decide whether to participate in the event.

Troop 101 chose not to participate, but the materials went to the boy despite him not belonging to Boy Scouts for several years, Bordonaro said. Additional charges may be filed later by police in Champion and Warren, Bordonaro said.