Dog trainer accused of scamming customers, mistreating animals gets probation
Mar. 17—A Huber Heights man who reportedly failed to train dogs as promised and returned pets covered in feces was sentenced to probation.
Jason Thomas Jones, 45, was ordered to pay $341,363.24 in restitution, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office.
Jones previously pleaded guilty to 181 charges in January, including theft, theft from elderly/disabled, theft from elderly/disabled/service member, cruelty to companion animals, failure to file state income tax and engaging a pattern of corrupt activity.
He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cruelty to companion animals and theft charges.
The prosecutor's office recommended a minimum sentence of 10 years.
"This defendant ran his so-called business in a way that suggested he believed he could escape the consequences of taking people's money, torturing their dogs and providing little to no actual dog training," Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said. "The number of victims is staggering. As a dog owner, I am relieved that his criminal activities have been stopped."
Jones owned and operated Dayton Dog Trainer LLC. The company reportedly claimed to offer obedience training for dogs and support animals.
Jones and his business charged thousands of dollars for training, but returned untrained animals, sometimes covered in feces and with signs of abuse and neglect, according to the prosecutor's office.
A Miamisburg police investigation determined there were at least 120 victims from across the Miami Valley who lost more than $340,000.
The investigation began after Randy Reed of Miamisburg placed his two 6-month-old bernedoodles Emmy and Bailey — a cross between a Bernese mountain dog and a poodle — in Jones' care. After the first two weeks of a contracted month of training for $4,000, Reed said he found his dogs at Jones' property staked in a field, filthy with a rash and clear weight loss. He did not bring the dogs back for a second two-week session and didn't get his money back for the extra weeks.
Reed then took to social media and found a dozen people with similar experiences and brought that information to the Miamisburg Police Department.
Following Jones' guilty plea Reed said some victims wanted to see Jones in prison, but that they were aware having him pay back the people he defrauded was possible instead of incarceration.
"I am fine with it, if that's what happens, because I know there's a lot of poor people that need the money," Reed said previously.
Jones' co-defendants, Jennifer Long and Tabatha Taverna, pleaded no contest to theft charges in February, according to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records.
Cruelty to companion animals, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and theft from an elderly or disabled person charges were dismissed.
Long and Taverna are scheduled to be sentenced Friday.
Staff Writer Daniel Susco contributed to this report.
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