(IRONTON, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that the husband and wife owners of All Seasons of Kentucky Inc. have entered guilty pleas for running a scam that cost 35 victims more than $140,000.
“These individuals came from out of state to take advantage of Ohioans whose homes and lives had been wrecked by a storm,” Attorney General DeWine said. “We created an Economic Crimes Unit to hold con artists like these accountable, and we appreciate the tireless assistance of local law enforcement in helping to bring justice for the many consumers who were ripped off in this scam.”
Starting in September 2012, Leo Patrick Richard Jr. and his company All Seasons of Kentucky Inc. swept through Lawrence County and accepted insurance funds from victims for new roofs before leaving town in September 2013 without doing the work. Carol Richard, his wife, shared in the proceeds of the company.
Leo Patrick Richard Jr. pleaded guilty to 36 felony counts, including:
- Attempted Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, a felony of the third degree (1 count)
- Theft from the Elderly, a felony of the fourth degree (11 counts)
- Theft, a felony of the fourth degree (2 counts)
- Theft, a felony of the fifth degree (22 counts)
He will be sentenced in January 2015.
Carol Richard pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, a felony of the third degree. She will be sentenced in October 2014.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Unit, a division of the office’s Consumer Protection Section, received extensive assistance in the investigation from the Ironton Police Department.
Attorney General DeWine created the Economic Crimes Unit in March 2011 to identify criminal conduct in consumer fraud cases and to assist Ohio’s prosecuting attorneys in holding scammers criminally accountable. To date, 84 people have been convicted of felonies as a result of investigations out of the Unit.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office also filed a civil lawsuit against All Seasons of Kentucky and the Richards in September 2013. The lawsuit, which was filed in the Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas, concluded with a default judgment in July 2014. The defendants were ordered to pay $169,004 in consumer restitution and $75,000 in civil penalties.
Consumers whose homes have been damaged in a storm should beware of traveling contractors who offer to repair their homes. Before making any payments, consumers should research a contractor by checking complaints on file with the Ohio Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau, and by conducting a basic Internet search of the business.
Consumers who believe they have been treated unfairly should contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office at 800-282-0515 or www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
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