Terry Qualls Jr., age 48, of Gallipolis, Ohio, was recently convicted of eight felony charges: seven counts of Theft and one count of Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity. Five of the Theft counts were Felonies of the Fourth Degree, two of the Theft counts were Felonies of the Fifth Degree, and the Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity is a Felony of the Second Degree. Qualls was sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 4 years and 11 months in prison and a maximum period of 6 years and 11 months in prison. Upon his release from prison, Qualls will be under the supervision of the Ohio Adult Parole Authority for up to 3 years.
From October 1, 2021, through July 31, 2024, Qualls stole $73,890.65 from five different victims. Qualls used various LLCs registered in Gallia County to receive payment while promising each victim a different form of construction work. Qualls would accept payment and then keep the money while never finishing any of the projects he had promised; he gave the runaround to each victim as they requested the work to be completed or for a refund. One of the victims paid Qualls $30,086.97 for a project to be completed, and Qualls used the money the next day to pay a $30,000 restitution order out of Lawrence County to avoid prosecution. Essentially, Qualls robbed Peter to pay Paul.
The Gallia County Prosecutor’s Office commends Gallipolis Police Department Detective Sergeant Justin Rice for his thorough investigation and working with multiple counties to put everything together. Assistant Prosecutor Isaac Beller was the lead prosecutor on the case.
