Officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department conducted a traffic stop Wednesday evening, Feb. 4, in the 800 block of South Main Street after observing a vehicle displaying Ohio license plates registered to a different vehicle.
The driver was identified as Shelby L. McIntire of Bellefontaine. Police initiated the stop at approximately 5:54 p.m. after the silver Honda Accord pulled into a business parking lot near the fairgrounds entrance.
McIntire told officers she had recently purchased the vehicle and had not yet transferred the registration. She also advised that her driver’s license was under suspension.
Officers confirmed McIntire was driving under a non-compliance suspension and that the vehicle’s registration had expired in December 2024. Police also reported the vehicle had been observed operating within the city multiple times over the past 30 days with the same plate attached.
The driver showed officers purchase information and a photograph of a signed and notarized title on her phone.
McIntire was cited for operating a motor vehicle under a non-compliance suspension and was given a mandatory court date of Feb. 9, 2026, in Bellefontaine Municipal Court. The vehicle was towed, and the license plate and driver’s license were confiscated.
City business scammed
Police are investigating a reported scam involving a Bellefontaine business.
Officers were dispatched at about 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, to the local business on a report of a suspected fraudulent transaction.
The business owner told officers that an unknown male, identified only as “Joe,” placed an online order on Jan. 19 totaling $3,579.44. The product was shipped Jan. 23 to an address on Cumberland Drive in Garfield Heights.
Police reported that the suspect attempted multiple payment methods over several days using different names and addresses. Three payment attempts were declined before a fourth transaction was successfully processed on Jan. 19.
The product was delivered to the listed address, where the delivery driver placed it inside the residence through an unlocked side door. The driver reported seeing individuals leaving the property but did not make contact with them. Photographs taken at the time of delivery showed the interior of the residence appeared vacant.
On Jan. 25, the business received a suspected fraud notification. A dispute was initiated Feb. 2, and the funds were subsequently withdrawn from the business’s account and placed in escrow.
Bellefontaine police contacted the Garfield Heights Police Department, which advised that the product remained at the delivery location. Garfield Heights officers also indicated they could provide a property standby if the business owner wished to retrieve the merchandise.
Police further reported that the name listed on the invoice did not match the property owner associated with the delivery address, and the contact phone number provided for the transaction was no longer in service.
The incident remains under investigation.
