Delaware Man Arrested for Home Improvement Fraud

Delaware State Police announced the arrest of a 45-year-old Houston, Delaware resident for Home Improvement Fraud following multiple investigations.

According to the police, in July of 2024, Troop 4 Financial Crimes Detectives began investigating Jeremy Bowen of Delmarva Landscaping Solutions, LLC and Shoreline Escapes, LLC for Home Improvement Fraud. Detectives learned that Bowen had signed a contract in March 2023 with a 65-year-old Georgetown man to install an inground swimming pool. Bowen was paid $27,500 for the work. Then, in March of 2024, Bowen signed a contract with a Frankford man to install a fence and paid Bowen $1,600. In September of 2023, Bowen signed a contract with an Ocean View woman to install an inground swimming pool and paid Bown $18,000. In each case, the work was never completed, the contracts were not fulfilled, and only one of the victims received partial reimbursement.

Detectives acquired warrants for Bowen’s arrest and the defendant turned himself in at Troop 4. He was charged with several crimes, listed below.

• 2 counts of Home Improvement Fraud Over $1,500
• Home Improvement Fraud Over $1,500 where the victim is over 62
• Theft by False Pretense Over $1,500
• Theft Over $1,500

Police are reaching out to the public to determine if anyone else has been defrauded in a similar manner as the victims listed above.

Home Improvement Fraud 

11 DE Code § 916 (2023) defines the crime of Home Improvement Fraud. It occurs when a contractor fails to uphold their end of a contract. According to the law, a person is guilty of Home Improvement Fraud when they enter or offer to enter into a home improvement contract as the provider of home improvements to another person and:

• Uses or employs any false pretense or false promise;
• Creates or reinforces a person’s impression or belief concerning the condition of any portion of that person’s dwelling or property involved in said home improvement contract knowing that the impression or belief is false;
• Makes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact relating to the terms of the home improvement contract or the existing condition of any portion of the property that is subject to the contract;
• Receives money for the purpose of obtaining or paying for services, labor, materials, or equipment and fails to apply such money for such purpose;
• Fails to provide that person’s own true name, provides a false name, address, or phone number of the business offering said home improvements.

Under the statute, the penalty for this crime is related to the amount of money stolen. In this case, it’s between $1,500 and $50,000 making it a class F felony.

Talk to a Wilmington, DE Criminal Defense Lawyer Today 

Michael W. Modica represents the interests of Delaware residents who have been charged with serious crimes. Call our Wilmington criminal lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin preparing your defense immediately.

Source:

dsp.delaware.gov/2024/08/21/detectives-arrest-man-for-home-improvement-fraud/