The last of a trio of suspects charged with stealing from tornado victims was sentenced to a multi-year prison term Thursday, Jan. 2, in Logan County Common Pleas Court.
Brandy N. Durnell, 38, of West Mansfield, was sentenced by Judge Kevin P. Braig to five to seven-and-a-half years in prison for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a second-degree felony, and seven counts of breaking and entering, fifth-degree felonies.
Durnell’s crimes were part of an organized crime operation, causing significant economic losses to the victims, Judge Braig said. Some of the thefts occurred following the March 2024 tornado, while others stemmed from storage unit thefts predating the storm.
“You actively participated in a criminal business that victimized innocent people who were already victims of a natural disaster,” Judge Braig said. “Your conduct was calculated and predatory.”
The court reviewed recorded jail calls between Durnell and co-defendant Edward Langley that demonstrated Durnell’s active role in the criminal activity. Logan County Prosecutors recommended Durnell receive the same sentence as her co-defendants, Jeffrey Rivers and Edward Langley, who were each previously sentenced to five to seven-and-a-half year prison terms.
Durnell’s pre-sentence investigation showed that she profited from selling stolen items through yard sales and Facebook Marketplace.
The case began in late March 2024 when Logan County Sheriff’s deputies observed an SUV pulling a loaded trailer in a parking lot on County Road 130. Durnell, the driver, claimed she and her passengers, Langley and Rivers, were cleaning out a storage unit in Russells Point.
Deputies noticed a motorcycle on the trailer with Ohio registration plates. When questioned, Durnell said she didn’t know the owner and claimed the motorcycle came from Lakeview storage units, and said that they were taking it to law enforcement.
Bellefontaine Police contacted the motorcycle’s owner, who confirmed it was stolen. Deputies arrested Durnell, Langley, and Rivers, charging them with grand theft of a motor vehicle.