FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF News) – Following the arrest of a man accused of scamming homeowners out of tens of thousands of dollars under the guise of remodeling projects, Fort Worth police are asking any possible victims to come forward.
The department’s Jimmy Pollozani said 51-year-old Ernest Thibodeaux allegedly used numerous aliases while accepting money up front of construction projects before taking off with the cash.
Investigators said they began investigating Thibodeaux, who was allegedly using the name “Kris Malachi” while operating Majestic Homes out of Arlington, back in January after getting a report from a concerned homeowner.
The homeowners told police they paid “Malachi” some of the costs up front and then he vanished.
“Work that was completed was not up to code and building permits were not being obtained by Malachi,” said Pollozani.
After a three week investigation, detectives found “Malachi” and identified him as a Wanted Fugitive out of Alabama and Mississippi. He was wanted for Theft by Deception and Home Repair Fraud.
“One of the cases, there was approximately $28,000 worth of job that he provided an estimate for and received $17,000 up front,” said Pollozani.
Unfortunately, this type of scam is not uncommon. Pollozani said it’s a cautionary tale for homeowners to make sure they do some investigating before handing their money over to a contractor.
“Have some references to see if this individual or company is reputable. Contact the references that they provide. I would go online to see if they have any reviews and see what type of work they do. You could also contact building and permit to see if they’ve ever pulled a permit in your city,” he said.
Investigators said Thibodeaux, who is from New Orleans, may have identified himself as a New Orleans police officer, even though he was never employed by the department.
Fort Worth police are asking anyone who believes they were scammed by Thibodeaux to contact their department.
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