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Police arrest two in residential fraud case: People warned about hazards of using unverified contractors
Police arrested Justin Denson, left, and Annie Korpob, right, and have charged them with felony theft in connection with a complaint about a resident being scammed out of payment for plumbing work. - Photos courtesy of the Rowlett Police Department
By Kenny Green, kgreen@starlocalnews.com
Police have two suspects in custody following a complaint about a resident being scammed out of payment for plumbing work. Police arrested Justin Denson, 30, and Annie Korpob, 30, and have charged them with felony theft in connection with the complaint.
According to police, a Rowlett resident told police she contacted a plumber through an ad posted on Craigslist to do some plumbing repair at her residence. The victim said the suspects arrived at her residence with a day laborer to complete the work.
She told police that she gave the suspect a check to go purchase materials for the job, and the suspects immediately left her residence and cashed the check. The victim said the suspects never returned to complete the work or pick up the day laborer.
After investigating the case, detectives identified numerous additional victims who reported similar incidents with these same suspects throughout the Metroplex, dating back to as 2011. "Unfortunately you have to be careful when dealing with anything on Craigslist. You really don't know who the people are you are dealing with," Sawyer said. "I recommend doing a little background on the people before they show up at your residence. Pay really close attention to the info that they provide you over the phone. In this particular scam a lot of quotes were given over the phone. Someone really can't give you a quote without seeing what has to be done."
Sawyer also said that when dealing with a professional such as a plumber, customers can verify their credentials by looking them up on the licensing board.
Detectives were able to locate Denson and Korpob at a hotel in Irving on Monday, Feb. 4, where they were taken into custody without incident on felony theft charges. Denson and Korpob are currently in the Rockwall County Jail. Each suspect has a $100,000 bond.
Although detectives have identified numerous victims, there are several more victims of this remodeling scam who have yet to be identified. Anyone who has been a victim of Denson and Korpob or has any information about them is asked to contact the Rowlett Police Department at 972-412-6220.
"If someone suspects they have been the victim of a scam they need to try and gather as much information on the individuals as possible and contact the police department," Sawyer said.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
Jack wrote on Feb 17, 2013 3:15 PM:
" I hope they get maximum prison sentence, like 30 years "
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