FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 11, 2016
Unscrupulous Contractor Sentenced
For Stealing $85,900 from Homeowners
Took Money for Work That Was Not Done
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a Brooklyn man was sentenced for stealing $85,900 from four Park Slope homeowners who hired him to perform work on their properties. The defendant took money for work that was not performed and at times falsely claimed to be a licensed contractor.
District Attorney Thompson said, “Dominick Valoroso ripped off hard working homeowners in Park Slope and Prospect Heights who were simply trying to improve their homes. This case makes clear why anyone hiring a home improvement contractor should check that they are properly licensed by and in good standing with the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs so that they don’t fall prey to con artists who will take their money without doing any work.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Dominick Valoroso, 42, of East 66th Street, in Mill Basin, Brooklyn. He was sentenced yesterday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht to three years’ probation following his guilty plea on January 7, 2016 to one count of first-degree scheme to defraud. At the time of the plea, the Court ordered civil judgments of restitution in the amount of $85,900 to be entered for the four victims.
The District Attorney said that, according to the guilty plea, between June 4, 2011 and July 7, 2013, the defendant entered into signed contracts with four different homeowners – three in Park Slope and one in Prospect Heights – to perform work on their property, during part of which time he was not licensed due to complaints filed against him.
The defendant took $14,700 from one homeowner, and did not do any work; he took $54,400 from a second homeowner and completed just $10,400 of the work; he took $21,200 from a third homeowner and did not do any work; and he took $6,000 from a fourth homeowner and did not do any work.
The case was investigated by Detective Investigator Jeannette Sbordone, under the supervision of Supervising Detective Investigator Robert Addonizio, Deputy Chief Edwin Murphy, Deputy Chief Horace Norville, and the overall supervision of Chief Richard Bellucci.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Joel Greenwald, of the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Dana Roth, Deputy Chief, and Assistant District Attorney Felice Sontupe, Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.
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