Defendant Allegedly Took Money As Down Payment, Then Failed To Do Repairs!
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that an unlicensed Queens contractor
has been charged with bilking five Queens homeowners out of more than $9,000 paid to him for heating
repairs and other work to their residences.
The contractor allegedly demanded down payments, then failed
to do the work. In addition, he allegedly misrepresented himself as being licensed to do electrical and
plumbing work in connection with the repairs although he is not licensed.
District Attorney Brown said, “The victims in this case, it is alleged, hired the defendant and paid
him substantial amounts of money for work that he never performed. In some instances, the victims –
including the elderly – were left without heat in winter.”
District Attorney Brown added, “Consumers should be cautious when hiring a home improvement
contractor. Defective or incomplete home improvement repairs are among the top consumer complaints my office receives.
To avoid being a victim of a home repair scheme, consumers should request and check
a contractor’s references and check with the proper city agencies to ensure that he is licensed.”
New York City Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri said, “New Yorkers depend on
contractors to perform construction work in a safe and lawful manner, including obtaining all of the
necessary permits and licenses. This individual betrayed that public trust, and this arrest sends a clear
message
that construction work performed by unlicensed workers will not be
tolerated. I would like to thank the Queens District Attorney’s Office,
the New York City Police Department, the Department of Investigation and
my staff for helping to bring this person to justice.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Alfred Lakas, 57, a.k.a., Al’s Heating Service,
a.k.a.,
Al’s Heating and Air, of 28-05 172nd Street, in Flushing, Queens. Lakas
was arraigned today in Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens on a
criminal complaint charging him with third-degree grand larceny,
third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, fourth-degree grand
larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property,
first-degree scheme to defraud, petit larceny, fifth-degree criminal
possession of stolen property, false advertising, and violating the
city’s administrative code (AC 28-408.1 master plumbing license
required).
The defendant was released without bail and
ordered to return to court on June 26, 2012. He faces up to seven years
in prison if convicted. D.A. Brown said that, according to the criminal
charges, between August 24, 2010, and November 15, 2011, the defendant
is accused of misrepresenting himself as licensed and qualified to
perform various heating and other home repairs to five customers in
Queens as well as in advertisements posted on the internet.
It is alleged that a Queens homeowner who saw the defendant’s truck bearing an advertisement for
Al’s
Heating Service called the defendant at the listed phone number and met
with him on September 28, 2011, to discuss an estimate for installation
of a new boiler and removal of an oil tank. The defendant is alleged to
have claimed to be licensed to perform the work, to be able to get the
necessary permits and gave an estimate of $5,000.
The
defendant allegedly received a $1,500 down payment and did not perform
the work although he promised it would be down by November 15, 2011 –
leaving the homeowner without heat and forcing him to rely on electrical
heaters during the winter.
In another instance, a Queens homeowner who saw the defendant’s advertisement on the Internet
contacted
him in regards to moving a boiler, performing the necessary duct work,
and installing gas lines and electrical connections. It is alleged that
on July 6, 2011, the defendant met with the homeowner at his Ozone Park
home and claimed to be licensed and fully insured. The defendant
allegedly gave the homeowner a written estimate of $6,000 to do the work
and said he would begin the work in one week in exchange for a $3,000
down payment – which he received. It is alleged that the defendant
failed to do any of the work despite being repeatedly contacted by the
homeowner, who eventually, in September 2011, hired another contractor
for $6,000 to do the job.
It is further alleged, according to the criminal complaint, that three other Queens homeowners gave
the
defendant down payments of $2,000, $1,000 and $1,750, respectively, for
various work to be performed in their homes which the defendant failed
to do.
The investigation was conducted by Detective Oniel Miller, of the District Attorney’s NYPD
Squad,
under the supervision of Sergeant Francis Teran, Lieutenant Keith P.
Gallagher and Captain John M. Zanfardino and the overall supervision of
Chief Louis M. Croce, Jr. and Chief of Detectives Phil T. Pulaski.
Further investigation was conducted by Investigator Nicholas Novellino of the New York City
Department
of Buildings Special Investigative Unit. Assistant District Attorney
Allison P. Wright, of the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Bureau, is
prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District
Attorneys Gregory C. Pavlides, Bureau Chief, and Christina Hanophy,
Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant
District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy
Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M.
Cantoni.
It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is
presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Release by The Queens District Attorney "Richard A. Brown". Original contents of this article can be found online here ->
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