PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An Ohio man has been sentenced to four years in prison for swindling an elderly Portland woman out of her life savings.
Jimi Terell Ward, 49, was sentenced on Monday by Clackamas County Circuit Court, two years after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated theft in the first degree and aggravated identity theft in the first degree.
The victim, now 78 and in poor health, shared her emotional statement in court.
“I worked 50 years for my retirement. I was financially secure with income property. Then I met you,” she told Ward. “It took you less than a month to swindle me out of my life’s work. You got it all, every last penny I had.”
Ward met the victim in 2018 while working as a used car salesman. He convinced her to invest $60,000 in a house-flipping deal. He used the funds to purchase real estate in Walla Walla, Washington, which he later sold for profit but never repaid the woman.
Ward also maxed out her credit and debit cards by convincing her to finance “property upgrades” on his behalf. Despite sending several checks, Ward’s payments to her bounced.
After pleading guilty in 2023, Ward was allowed to remain out of custody pending sentencing but fled to Ohio before his court date. He was arrested in February 2025.
Deputy District Attorney Josh Cutino described how Ward’s actions ruined the victim’s finances, leaving her $166,000 in the hole. She’s now reliant on financial assistance from friends and is considering filing for bankruptcy.
The victim expressed her devastation, saying, “I learned the hard way that trust can easily be shattered, and financial stability can vanish overnight. Jimi, you ruined what’s left of my life.”
Ward told the judge he couldn’t afford to pay restitution, and a restitution hearing is scheduled for December 15.
