Two Illinois men face a felony charge related to home repairs for an elderly man. The homeowner allegedly gave the two workers $4,000 to seal his driveway. However, the two allegedly never returned to the home to give the man a warranty for the coating they used, which led to a felony charge of aggravated home repair fraud.
According to the police report, the older man was on his front porch when a truck stopped and three men exited the vehicle. They talked to him about sealing the driveway, and the homeowner agreed to the work. That same day the men sprayed a substance on the driveway and also did some additional work on the concrete. The homeowner asserts that he was told the materials to do the job would only cost about $80.
After a few hours of work, the men stated that they were finished and quoted the man a cost of $4,000. They asked for cash and then went to the bank with the elderly man to get the money. At first, he only withdrew $500 and attempted to pay that amount; however, they insisted on the full payment of $4,000, so he withdrew the rest and gave it to them. They stated they would come back the next day with a warranty covering the seal coating, but the homeowner says that no one ever returned.
Two of the men who did the work have been arrested and are now facing a felony charge related to the alleged fraud. This case will be interesting if it plays out in court, because it appears that the men did the work. In addition, the homeowner paid for the work after it was completed, and there is no mention of the workers using threats or force to get him to do so.
It would be in workers best interests to understand the charges against them and what type of punishment a conviction could lead to. Consulting a criminal defense attorney will help them understand their case as well as have someone in their corner to mount a strong defense in court.
Source: The News-Gazette, “Two men arrested for aggravated home repair fraud,” Tim Mitchell, Sept. 6, 2012