(IRONTON, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that an Illinois man has been sentenced to prison for operating a traveling home repair scam that cost 35 Ohio victims more than $140,000.
Leo Patrick Richard Jr., who operated All Seasons of Kentucky, was sentenced today in the Lawrence County Common Pleas Court to three years in prison. In late September, he pleaded guilty to 36 felony counts, including attempted engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, theft, and theft from the elderly.
His wife and All Seasons of Kentucky co-owner, Carol Richard, was sentenced in October 2014 to serve four years of community control and was ordered to pay $143,426.98 — the total amount of restitution both she and her husband are responsible to pay.
Leo Patrick Richard Jr. already has paid $46,625, which will be distributed proportionally to victims, who will receive approximately $300 to $2,600 each, depending upon the amount they lost. Any additional payments made by the Richards also will be distributed to victims of the scam.
“These out-of-state contractors came into Ohio and took advantage of consumers whose homes were devastated by a storm,” Attorney General DeWine said. “Through the collaborative efforts of state and local law enforcement agencies, they are now facing real consequences for their actions. We are pleased that victims will be getting some of their money back, and we will continue our efforts to hold con artists accountable.”
An investigation led by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office with extensive assistance from the Ironton Police Department and the Ohio Department of Insurance determined that All Seasons entered into contracts with homeowners in the Ironton area and failed to provide the agreed upon services between 2012 and 2013.
“Partnering with the Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement, the Department has worked to help ensure those responsible in this case are held accountable for their crimes,” Lieutenant Governor and Department of Insurance Director Mary Taylor said. “Protecting consumers is a top priority for the Department and we will continue to take action against those who prey on innocent Ohioans or commit fraud.”
The case was prosecuted by attorneys in the Ohio Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Unit, a division of the office’s Consumer Protection Section.
Attorney General DeWine created the Economic Crimes Unit in March 2011 to identify criminal conduct in consumer fraud cases and to assist Ohio’s prosecuting attorneys in holding scammers criminally accountable. To date, the unit’s investigations have led to 94 felony convictions.
Consumers whose homes have been damaged in a storm should beware of traveling contractors who offer to repair their homes and ask for their insurance money. Before making any payments, consumers should research a contractor by checking complaints on file with the Ohio Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau, and by conducting a basic Internet search of the business.
Consumers who believe they have been treated unfairly should contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office at 800-282-0515 or www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
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