Docs: Richmond man defrauded students at massage school

RICHMOND, Ind. — A Richmond man allegedly defrauded multiple individuals at a massage school that he owned.

According to court documents filed in Wayne County late last month, 42-year-old Joshua Ridenour has been charged with three counts of fraud where the loss was between $750 and $50,000, each a Level 6 felony.

In February, officers with the Richmond Police Department took a report from multiple individuals regarding an alleged fraud at “That Massage School,” a massage therapy school owned by Ridenour.

In documents provided to law enforcement by three individuals, they reportedly paid a $1,000-1,500 invoice to enroll in the school.

In the program details of the paperwork for the school, which was reportedly created in November 2024, it said that a student will be offered required coursework and training to meet the hours needed for massage therapy licensing in the state of Indiana, as well as continued assistance until the student passes the state’s Massage and Bodywork Licensing exam. A “discounted rate for tuition” at That Massage School was $2,500.

However, the Richmond location of That Massage School was reportedly not in operation. Ridenour was reportedly issued a Cease and Desist letter surrounding this particular location, stating that the business was “not authorized to offer to the public training and/or educational services for a fee, charge or tuition.”

“That Massage School at the Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana location could not fulfill the obligation of the contract to the students,” the court documents read, “due to the location was operating without the required authorization from the Office for Career and Technical Schools, according to the Cease and Desist letter sent to Mr. Ridenour from the Department of Workforce Development.”

The documents allege that Ridenour, as the program director for That Massage School, fraudulently led three students to believe that they would fulfill the state’s requirements for massage therapy licensing through the Richmond location’s program.

Law enforcement attempted to contact Ridenour in Richmond, the documents said. Through an interview with one of the students, law enforcement tracked Ridenour to a Middletown address.

According to court documents, Ridenour’s bail is set at $50,000, where 10% of the cash is authorized. Ridenour is currently in custody in the Elkhart County Jail.