Yesterday Assistant District Attorney Eric Hovatter filed 82 felony counts including 3 counts of First Degree Residential Burglary and 79 counts of Financial Elder Abuse on Thomas Rowell Ricci, 67, of Sonora. The victim in this case is a 91 year old Tuolumne County resident. The criminal complaint alleges a loss of over $200,000 loss to the victim involving checks written to Ricci beginning in August of 2017 up to February 14, 2019. Judge Kevin Seibert granted a request by Mr. Hovatter to increase the statutory bail amount and set bail at $750,000. Also filed in conjunction with the case was a Felonious Bail Motion which requires that Ricci demonstrate to a judge that any money he uses to make bail is not a result of criminal activity.
