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Court: No Veterans Day solitary for man convicted of scamming vets

CLEVELAND (AP) — An Ohio appeals court says a man convicted of masterminding a $100 million Navy veterans charity fraud won’t have to spend every Veterans Day in solitary confinement as indicated in his prison sentence.

The man identifying himself as Bobby Thompson ran a Florida-based charity and was arrested in Portland, Oregon, in 2012.

He was convicted in 2013 of racketeering, theft, money laundering and 12 counts of identity theft. A Cuyahoga County judge sentenced him to 28 years in prison, with solitary confinement each Veterans Day.

In a ruling Thursday, the 8th District Court of Appeals said the trial court had no authority under Ohio sentencing law to impose the solitary-confinement punishment.

Authorities say the man’s real name is John Donald Cody.

A message was left Friday for his attorney.

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