Dozen jailed for Hurricane related roofing scams in Broward County, Florida this year

People all over Hurricane Country, from the Keys in South Florida to the Carolinas and Texas are seeing an upswing in the number of scammers lined up to take their money, steal their time and give them false hope. Our mission here at A Big Wind is to get the word out about these crooks so that you won’t become one of their victims. From research we’ve conducted it’s common to see scammers moving between different parts of the city to avoid detection and when the heat gets closer they move to other counties and even states to ply their trade of tricks.

John Holland, of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel wrote on May 27, 2006 about the growing number of arrests in Broward for roofing scams brought on by consumer’s desperation to protect their home before this year’s Hurricanes arrive.

“More than 100 homeowners report being victims of fraud since Wilma, and about a dozen people countywide have been arrested on charges including exploiting the elderly, grand theft and operating without a contractor’s license, according to court papers and county records. Both numbers are expected to grow over the next few weeks as investigations conclude and more victims come forward, investigators said.” writes John Holland, South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

“We’re being very aggressive and there are a lot more cases ready to go, but it’s still important that people let us know if they think they’ve been victimized,'’ said Broward Sheriff’s Office Detective John Murray. “A lot of people were told to expect waits of about six months, so they are just starting to realize that their roofer has skipped town.'’

The Sun-Sentinel named several people associated with these charges including Laszlo Szabo, 39, of Margate, who was being held at the Broward County jail on $40,000 bond, while Anthony Schilling, 42 of Weston, and Leo Pass, 36, of Hallandale Beach, were out on bond at the time the Sun-Sentinel reported on the arrests.

“The sheriff’s office says it has identified 25 homeowners victimized by Szabo, 13 by Schilling and at least 11 by Pass. All are charged with multiple counts of theft and operating without a license. And all had polished deliveries, according to Murray and the homeowners who hired them.” wrote John Holland, of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.