Yost’s Elder Justice Unit secures indictment against Marion County real estate developer

A Marion real estate developer was indicted on 15 felony counts related to alleged shady business dealings, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced recently.

Paul Rowlen, 38, of Marion, was indicted in Marion County Common Pleas Court for allegedly forging deeds and stealing the identities of older adults, some of them deceased.

Rowlen faces 15 felony charges, including:

• One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1);
• Six counts of forgery (F3 and F4);
• Six counts of identity fraud (F2 and F3); and
• Two counts of theft (F2 and F4).

In certain counts, the felony is elevated if the crime was committed against a victim of a protected class, such as older adults.

The indictment alleges that Rowlen, as owner of RDM Management LLC., forged documents to take possession of residential property without the victim’s knowledge and then rehabbed the homes for sale.

The case was investigated by the Marion Police Department.

Attorneys from Yost’s Special Prosecution Section are prosecuting the case. The section is part of the attorney general’s Elder Justice Unit, which also includes teams focused on crime victim services, consumer protection, and health care fraud, as well as the AG’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Together, they work to educate Ohioans about the warning signs and risks of financial exploitation, a crime often directed at older adults.

Indictments merely contain allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.

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