Officials warn Long Island homeowners of scammers damaging roofs, offering repairs
MINEOLA, N.Y. -- A New Jersey man is charged with conning several Long Island homeowners in roof repair scams.
Officials are warning neighbors about groups of men who go door to door soliciting work.
John Bonavoglia says his elderly father's Greenvale house did not have a hole in the roof prior to a knock at the door Monday, but that's when three men showed up, told him they saw a hole and offered to fix it for $20,000.
"They were talking to him and at the same time putting a hole in the roof," Bonavoglia said.
That hole that now breaks through the ceiling.
His father did not fork over the money, but instead called police.
The same thing happened in Roslyn Heights.
"He said he was working in the neighborhood and he sent up a drone to check out to see if there were any other available houses he could work on and he saw a hole in my roof," resident Ed Saunders said.
He didn't fall for it either, but he's left with a gaping hole in his roof.
Nassau Police say they caught up with the suspects' SUV. The four men inside crashed, then fled. They tracked down one of them, arresting Terry McDonagh of Keansburg, New Jersey.
If this all sounds familiar, it's because bands of traveling home repair scammers are nothing new, but they're back in Nassau County with a twist.
"Ring the doorbell [and say], 'We think your roof needs work,' climb up there on a ladder, actually do damage to the roof, then come down and tell the homeowner how much they're gonna charge them to fix it," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. "Contractors don't usually go door to door and say, 'Do you want us to do some work on your house?'"
"They're coming to alarm you, they're coming to get over on you and they're going to take a great sum of money from you if you let them get away with it," Nassau County Police 1st Deputy Commissioner Kevin Smith said.
Nassau Police say be wary of anyone coming to your door asking for a down payment.
"Tell them you have a son and daughter that do the work at your house, tell them that you have a cop friend that does the work, tell them anything you want, lie to them if you have to, but get them out of there," Smith said.
"Don't be trusting. Be suspicious of everyone," Saunders said.
These victims are comparatively lucky. The DA says there is another Nassau resident who last week turned over $70,000 in a similar home improvement scam.
McDonagh pled not guilty and was released with an electronic monitoring device.