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DA: Contractor Swindled Woman Out of $65K
Samuel Boothe is accused of swindling a woman out of $65,000 for an addition to her home.
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The goal was to create a bedroom, bathroom, and a sunroom so they could sit and watch the birds. But that project, she said, turned into her nightmare.
In 2005, she said she hired a local contractor, Samuel Boothe. Boothe had a home improvement business on Walnut Street in Harrisburg and came highly recommended, she said.
Over the course of a few months, she said she paid him $65,000. But Boothe, Muroski said, barely did any work. And what he did do, she said, was done poorly.
"Water running down the walls, the roof wasn't completed," Muroski said. "I don't know how the man can look himself in the face."
Investigators said the electric and plumbing also wasn't up to code. They also said they found a sewage pipe that drained into Muroski's yard.
Cumberland County District Attorney Dave Freed said the work was so poor, it was criminal. Boothe faces several charges including theft and fraud.
"The work certainly has to be incredibly sub-standard for us to even be involved and in a case like this, to say corners were cut would be a vast, vast understatement," Freed said. "And the fact that money was taken for work that just wasn't completed at all."
Investigators said they believe Boothe left the Harrisburg area in late 2005. He was arrested on the charges in Georgia last month. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing Friday.
Freed said it's possible other victims may be out there. "If they think they were ripped off they have to contact their local law enforcement and see where we can go from there," he said. "These cases are always better if we can show a pattern."
Muroski said the ordeal took a toll on her parents. Her step-father has since passed away. "He (Boothe) lied to me from day one," Muroski said. "And that's why I pursued this ... nobody has a right do to this."
Boothe was sued in Dauphin County Court in 2005 for $28,000 after a couple said he failed to complete a basement project. Court officials said that case is still pending.
Boothe and his attorney, Hubert Gilroy, both declined to comment after the hearing Friday.
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Latest Comments on "DA: Contractor Swindled Woman Out of $65K"
posted by: behtah2 on 7:10 pm on 11/07/09
This is a real shame. Contractors ripping people off. It's so wrong. My mother is also a victim of "contractor scam" herself. Her house was totaled by a fire almost two years ago. She hired a contractor who actually lived a few doors down from her in Wormleysburg. She thought she could trust a neighbor. Well, he ripped my mother off about 28 grand and the work he did was pure crap. Now my mother is still without her home and has to rent while her house sits unfinished. I wish she could bring this Mike guy to justice like this woman did but she just doesn't have the funds to do it. My mother tried getting help from all sorts of agencies including the attorney general with no luck. They told her that they couldn't help her. Word to the wise, do a lot of research on contractors. Choose a trustworthy company. Not self employed scam artists.
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