Genoa woman indicted for alleged theft from elderly woman's estate

PORT CLINTON — An Ottawa County grand jury recently indicted a Genoa woman accused of stealing from a deceased elderly woman's estate. On Feb. 18, grand jurors indicted Lucinda K. Brown, 60, of the 2100 block of N. Centerfield Drive, on one count of theft from a person in a protected class, a third-degree felony; and one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony. According to Brown's indictment, the alleged crimes occurred on or about Sept. 24, 2025, to Dec. 4, 2025, when Brown allegedly deprived the victim's estate without authorization or consent. One day after her indictment, Brown appeared in court for an arraignment, where she pleaded not guilty, according to court records. As of Tuesday afternoon, Brown was released from the Ottawa County Jail on her own recognizance. She has an upcoming court hearing scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on April 1. Background The investigation into Brown first began on Oct. 31, 2025, when Clay Township police responded to an address in the 2100 block of N. Centerfield Drive regarding an ongoing civil matter over an estate, prompting officers to contact the Ottawa County probate court for records. The records received showed that an unknown individual was appointed administrator of the deceased woman's estate, according to a Clay Township police report. About two weeks after the initial call with the estate administrator, the police were contacted again regarding the estate, stating that they allegedly found various "text messages, Facebook Marketplace posts" involving the elderly woman's estate, including her vehicle, the report states. Based on the information provided by the caller, the police requested any additional evidence or documents. Among the additional documents, the estate administrator provided the police with a brief overview of the situation, noting that the deceased woman, who suffered from dementia, moved to an area retirement home in June 2025 before passing away in September 2025 and left no will. Additionally, Brown, the woman's "step-niece," was allegedly involved in her medical care, and due to no will being in place, Brown would not be eligible to the estate, the report states. The administrator stated that Brown allegedly indicated that she was the woman's power of attorney, which gives her the ability to make financial decisions on her behalf. However, the administrator claims that Brown has not provided proof that she is, in fact, the power of attorney and that once the woman passed away, she no longer has the authority to make financial decisions on her behalf or "sell any property or initiate bank account transactions," the report states. The woman provided bank statements in which eight separate transactions were made from the woman's account following her death, the report states. Due to the information received, Clay Township police forwarded the report to the Ottawa County Prosecutor's Office for review prior to indictment.