Shawnee Hillsโ Village Loses โค$54,388 to Paving โScam
SHAWNEE HILLS, OH – โฃ The Village of Shawnee Hills was defrauded of $54,388 intended for a paving project, according to aโฃ recent audit report from the โOhio Auditor‘s office.the incident, which occurred in octoberโข 2024, involved a scammer impersonating Strawserโ Paving company and redirecting payment to a fraudulent bank โฃaccount.
The audit, finalized September 26, 2025, details how the โขvillage’s โคfiscal officer, Roskoski, โคreceived an email on September 10, 2024, from someone falselyโ claiming โto be with Strawserโ Paving.The email requested an โelectronic payment form. The providedโฃ bank account data appeared legitimate butโข was later traced to an โindividual โคin Azusa, California. On October 16,2024,Roskoski authorized a payment of $54,388 toโ the fraudulent account.
The village became aware ofโฃ the โฃfraudulent transaction in December 2024 after being contacted by the โขAzusa, California Policeโ Department. The department discovered โthe diverted funds during an unrelated, ongoing inquiry. While Azusa police alerted Shawneeโ Hills to the fraud, โthey did not pursue an investigationโฃ into the incident itself.
“The fiscal officer should obtain confirmation of all bank accounts for electronic payments to vendors, via โขa phone call or an โขestablished emailโ address with a confirmed employee at the vendor, prior to adding/changing โคelectronic payment information in โthe โvillage’s automated system,” the auditor stated in the report, highlighting a โฃcritical security lapse.
Clay โคStrawser,โค vice president of Strawser Paving Company in Columbus, confirmed the โฃvillage ultimately paid for theโฃ completed, minor asphalt repairs. He noted that such impersonation scams are unfortunately common. “Unfortunately, that happens multiple times per year,” Strawserโ said, “where aโ fraudster โฃtries to โimpersonate theโ company providing servicesโค and get โคpeople to send them โmoney to the wrong bank account.”
The village council hadโข approved an emergency resolution for the paving contract with Strawser Paving โCompany on โขSeptember 9, 2024.
Seth Chapman, formerly in charge โขofโ the azusa detective division, stated the department’s investigation into related fraudulent โactivity is ongoing and declined to comment further on โthe connection to the Shawnee Hills โcase or potential involvement of โขother municipalities.
Roskoski declined โขto commentโข when contacted by The Columbus Dispatch on september 26,โ 2025.
Relevant Documents:
* โฃ Shawnee Hills Paving Contract