Man accused of scamming widows

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - A Bartholomew County Jail inmate is facing charges after police say he preyed on local widows for money.

Our partners at the Republic report 43-year-old James C. Warner sent sympathy cards to a church in an attempt to get the attention of two widows.

Officers believe Warner scanned obituaries to find victims and then sent heartfelt letters to the women's church. A worker at the church intercepted the letters and turned them in to police, who later contacted the widows. The widows told police they did not know who the man was.

Officers are not yet releasing the contents of the letters or asking how much money Warner requested from the widows.

Police say letters from the Bartholomew County Jail are always a warning label but say this case is a first. "It's just unbelievable that somebody tries to take advantage of someone in such a horrific situation," Chief Deputy Maj. Todd Noblitt, spokesman for the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department said.

Warner, who was already in jail for methamphetamine-related charges, is now facing two felony counts of fraud after police concluded their investigation.