News

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Friday, March 6, 2026

Defendant Sentenced 13 Years in Prison for Stealing from Elderly Victim

ZANESVILLE, OH -

March 4, 2026, David Mehl, 37, appeared in the Muskingum Court of Common Pleas to be sentenced for charges that stem from a string of Roseville break ins. Mehl was the final of three co-defendants to be sentenced in the case.

Mehl appeared before Judge Gerald Anderson and was sentenced for the following charges:

1. Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, F2

2. Breaking and Entering, two counts, F5

3. Theft from a Person in a Protected Class, two counts, F4

4. Possessing Criminal Tools, F5

5. Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle, F4

Mehl’s criminal history includes prior convictions and prison time served for Breaking and Entering, Obstructing Justice, Receiving Stolen Property, Burglary and Possession of Drugs.

Mehl admitted guilt to his crimes in September but then went on the run for months.

Judge Anderson heard from the State, the victim, the defense, and the defendant during the Wednesday sentencing hearing. The victim explained how the Defendant stole his retirement, all the tools he collected over a lifetime, and his ability to share his love of mechanics with the next generation of his family.

The defendant was given a chance to speak to the court but refused to accept responsibility, minimizing the impact of his actions, denying that he owed restitution, and blaming the victim for his crimes. Judge Anderson questioned Mehl, who initially claimed he had been seeking drug treatment. In the end, Mehl admitted that he spent his time as a fugitive “laying low” at his sister’s house and smoking methamphetamine.

Judge Anderson sentenced Mehl to thirteen (13) years in prison.

Immediately after learning his fate, Mehl had an outburst of profanity directed at Judge Anderson and Assistant Prosecutor John Litle, who handled the case. Mehl pronounced that he would never pay restitution and repeated the prisoner’s theme that when criminals are punished for crime the system is “corrupt.”

In addition to the prison time-imposed, Judge Anderson also ordered Mehl to pay $28,175.00 in restitution to his 68-year-old victim.

“Muskingum County has proven time and time again that repeated criminal behavior will result in significant criminal punishment,” said Prosecutor Ron Welch. “This defendant chose to test that theory and now has thirteen years to think about the consequences of his actions. I would say he chose poorly.”

Details of the Case:

On June 10, 2025, deputies with the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office responded to a trespassing complaint alleging that photos from a trail cam showed two males stealing aluminum wheels from the victim’s property and loading them into a Ford F-150.

Detective Randy Wilson verified the complaint on the trail cam photos and found that a shed on the property was also broken into with fresh toolmarks on the doorframe. Wilson also discovered that the house on the property was broken into.

The truck in the images was not displaying a license plate, and the victim was unable to identify the thieves. At 1:10am deputies stopped a matching F150 nearby for a registration violation and failure to display a license plate. The driver was identified as Davied Mehl and the passenger as Jessica Simerly.

On June 20, 2025, as the investigation was ongoing, the Sheriff’s office received a new report from the victim stating that two people were again trespassing on his property. This time a male and female are seen driving a 4-wheeler on his property and stealing his log splitter. Law enforcement was able to determine from the photos that the two individuals were Mehl and Simerly.

On June 21, 2025, photographs show Mehl and Simerly returning to the property in which Mehl is seen carrying an item from the property. A second call came in hours later the same day reporting that the 4-wheeler returned but this time was left on the property.

On June 22, 2025, deputies were dispatched to the property for a final time as the victim is found holding at gunpoint the following defendants: David Mehl, Jessica Simerly, and Joshua Craig.

The three indicated that they were on the property to reclaim the 4-wheeler, claiming that it had run out of gas. During his interview with detectives Mehl admitted that he was on the victim’s property on three separate occasions: once with Shawn Stump and twice with Jessica Simerly.

Among the thousands of dollars’ worth of tools and material that were stolen from the victim’s property, personal and medical papers as well as a truck were also stolen.

For their roles in the string of theft, Jessica Simerly was sentenced to four (4) years in prison and Shawn Stump was sentenced to ten (10) months in prison.

“Mehl’s sentence was well-deserved,” according to Litle. “It will be nice for the residents of Washington, Morgan, and Muskingum Counties to be rid of Mr. Mehl for the next decade. People’s property, safety, and peace of mind will be given a rest from Mehl’s endless crimes.”

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