Linn County sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday arrested a former comic-book restorer for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of comic books his customers had sent in for repairs — and then also pocketing the advance payments the customers had made.
Michael David DeChellis, 57, of Aumsville, is accused of stealing more than $300,000 in comic books and restoration fees from at least 20 customers who had hired him to repair their valuable, often-rare comic books, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Thursday.
The first named victim of DeChellis’s alleged crime spree lost $10,000 worth of comic books to DeChellis in March 2023, court records say.
The sheriff’s office started investigating in February of this year after a customer of DeChellis’ now-defunct store, Hero Restoration, complained that DeChellis had not returned a $62,000 comic book he had sent in for restoration, sheriff’s officials said. DeChellis had also taken $5,000 in restoration fees from the victim that he had not refunded.
The sheriff’s office has found 19 other victims who reported losing valuable comic books and fraudulent restoration fees to DeChellis, officials said.
When investigators dug deeper, they discovered DeChellis had resold some of the stolen comic books online and to another comic-book shop in Washington, sheriff’s officials said.
When deputies arrested DeChellis at his home earlier this week, they also served a warrant to search his home — and found multiple comic books and evidence of the thefts inside, officials said.
DeChellis is charged with seven counts of first-degree aggravated theft and five counts of first-degree theft.
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