(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced the indictment of a Cincinnati-area man accused of running a roofing scam affecting dozens of consumers in southwest Ohio.
David M. Nelson, 36, of Norwood, was indicted by a Hamilton County grand jury on 30 counts including one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, 24 counts of theft, and five counts of insurance fraud.
Nelson is accused of accepting money for roof work he never provided. He allegedly contacted consumers at their homes, claimed their roofs were damaged, and encouraged them to file an insurance claim. After accepting consumers’ insurance money, he allegedly failed to provide any services in return. Nelson also is accused of damaging consumers’ roofs to create the appearance of storm damage and providing false insurance claim information.
According to investigators, Nelson swindled about $113,000 from 23 homeowners in multiple counties within the greater Cincinnati area between 2014 and 2015.
“When Ohioans are defrauded, we do everything we can to hold the scam artists accountable,” Attorney General DeWine said. “We believe it’s important to prosecute these cases to protect Ohio consumers.”
An attorney with Attorney General DeWine’s Economic Crimes Unit was appointed as a special prosecutor in the case by the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office.
The case was investigated by Attorney General DeWine’s Economic Crimes Unit with assistance from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Department of Insurance, Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, Colerain Police Department, and West Chester Police Department.
In addition to the criminal case, Attorney General DeWine’s office also filed a civil lawsuit against Nelson and his company, American Property Claims Specialists LLC, in May for allegedly violating Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act and Home Solicitation Sales Act. The case is ongoing.
Consumers who want to report a potential scam or find consumer protection information should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.
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Media Contacts
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Kate Hanson: 614-466-3840