Graham
The owner and operator of an Edinburgh fence company is facing 12 felony counts of fraud, accused of allegedly taking money from customers but not providing anything in return.
Jami R. Graham, 52, of Columbus, was booked into the Bartholomew County Jail at 9:05 a.m. Tuesday. Her bond was set at $200,000 or 10% cash.
An investigative audit shows the victims listed in a court document paid a combined $103,439 to Graham’s business, Fence Boss LLC, between May 2022 and April 2023. Most of the clients shelled out between $5,000 and $6,000 for fencing that never came, investigators stated. They also said much of that money was used by Graham to pay for her personal expenses.
Each of the 12 charges filed against Graham are Level 6 felonies. If convicted on all counts, her sentence could range from six to 30 years, as well as fines of up to $120,000.
Investigating detective Paul Garnett of the Columbus Police Department implied in court documents there may be more cases surfacing in the coming weeks. At least 16 no-contact orders have already been issued in connection with the investigation.
In the probable cause affidavit, Graham is accused of engaging in a scheme with the intent to obtain money from several individuals by knowingly or intentionally making several false or misleading statements. Many were enticed to pay up front with a promise of a substantial discount, court documents state.
After receiving a customer’s money, Graham often came up with a plethora of excuses for not ordering their fencing, the affidavit states. The excuses ranged from family emergencies and supplier issues to COVID-19 backlogs or a blizzard at a factory, according to the affidavit.
Graham also instructed her staff to lie to customers about the status of their orders, court documents state. Employees told him the business owner would lock her door if she saw a customer who had already paid approaching. Often, the customer would end up pounding on the door, court documents state.
Another former staff member told police a lot of money came into Fence Boss that never made it to the company’s account, the affidavit states. Graham would promise customers to install their fencing in 30 days, but then make them wait several months or never deliver their order, according to court documents.
An accountant told investigators that Graham could not order fencing materials because her credit was gone with her suppliers, the affidavit states. The defendant was eventually told by bookkeepers that she needed to shut her business down because checks to vendors and others were bouncing, and there was no money to pay employees or taxes, according to court documents.
Located at 3700 W. County Road 700N, Fence Boss LLC first opened in July 2018. Jami Graham filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in October 2023.
The victims listed in the affidavit include eight homeowners in Columbus, three more in other parts of Bartholomew County, and one in Greensburg.
By Mark Webber — The (Columbus) Republic is a sister newspaper to the Daily Journal.
