Sitting quietly next to the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of East Carnegie, Green Tree and Banksville, Scott Township doesn’t often get a lot of attention. However, a local TV station recently focused on allegations of a white collar crime against a plumber in the suburb.
WPXI says a Scott Township homeowner claims he was defrauded of thousands of dollars for home improvement work that was never carried out.
The station’s new report states that the owner of Conquest Plumbing and Underground Specialist was arrested and taken to Allegheny County Jail on a charge of home improvement fraud.
The homeowner claims that he signed a contract and then paid the plumber a deposit of $4,000 early last month to install a sewer pipeline on his Scott Township property. The homeowner says the man cashed the check, but did not show up to do the installation.
The homeowner told the news reporter that the plumber sent him a photo and text in which he claimed to have been in an auto accident. He apologized and asked the homeowner if he could begin work the following Monday.
Again, the plumber did not show, the property owner said. So he went to law enforcement officials with the signed contract, canceled check and photo. An officer apparently told the homeowner that the photo must have been taken in autumn because there were colorful leaves in the background.
When the TV station contacted the plumber, he said he had already returned the $4,000 by certified check.
Of course, it’s impossible to tell from a news report who is in the right and who is in the wrong. But those who face allegations like these understand that they must contact a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible to try to resolve matters quickly.
Not only are reputations and businesses threatened, but freedom can be as well when facing fraud charges.