I-Team: Men Allegedly Conning People During Chimney Inspections
KINGSTON (CBS) -- They throw it in drive, hit the road and leave some tools of their trade behind. The I-Team went undercover at a Kingston home to catch a crew of dangerous con men in the act.
Police say Adam Joyce is the ringleader. Joyce and his workers are allegedly ripping off people all across New England leaving a trail of damaged chimneys in their path. They use several company names; Lysco and Energy Star Maintenance were making the rounds in Massachusetts.
Sgt. Jack Kennedy of the Concord Police Department said here's the pitch, "Energy Star Maintenance stated that work needed to be performed, that it was a dangerous situation and if the work wasn't done carbon monoxide fumes would come into the house endangering people."
So the I-Team made an appointment to have this chimney inspected and cleaned. We setup hidden cameras inside the home of Jean Jacobson who's the treasurer of the MA Chimney Sweep Guild. Her husband, who's a certified chimney sweep, made sure the chimney was clean and in good shape.
WBZ-TV's Kathy Curran reports.
Jacobson said, "There are unscrupulous companies coming in from out of state scamming people, I believe they're going to come in and tell me I need a chimney liner so I don't die from carbon monoxide poisoning."
The Energy Star Maintenance crew pulled up and headed inside. They inspected the chimney, looked at the furnace and pipes and told Jacobson there was a major problem with her flue. She said the Energy Star Maintenance employee told her tiles in her chimney had collapsed and were causing a blockage.
"They said the interior is made of terracotta clay and that it's cracked and deteriorated and recommended re-lining the chimney."
When the I-Team caught up with the workers outside of Jacobson's home and tried to ask some questions they hopped in the van and took off. They left a ladder and some expensive tools behind.
A representative from Energy Star Maintenance called Jean Jacobson and said the workers did nothing wrong. A photo taken after the contractors left shows the inside of Jacobson's chimney. There's no blockage, daylight can be seen shining through.
Jacobson said most of these questionable companies cold call. "No legitimate chimney sweep company will cold call, no legitimate chimney sweep company will charge you $45 to $55 for an inspection and a sweep that's what anyone should look for," Jacobson said.
Sgt. Kennedy said the concern is that people are being scammed. "They're losing thousands of dollars to these scam artists who perform substandard work, leave within an hour or two and are never to be found again."
Energy Star Maintenance uses a house on Cambridge Road in Norwood as its business address. The thing is the business isn't based there at all. It's the home of a woman Adam Joyce once dated and she says he never even lived there.
Police say the company seems to be based in New York. There have been cases that have been prosecuted by the Attorney General in Maine, Connecticut and New York.
Allegations of deceptive trade practices and criminal charges against Adam Joyce, his brother, Travis, and their crews have surfaced in several states. Both brothers have lengthy rap sheets in New York for charges including assault and criminal mischief just to name just a few.
Jean Jacobson's biggest concern is this, "Loss of life. What chimney sweeps do everyday is a safety concern, it may sound dramatic, but if people don't do the job right people can die."
Adam and Travis Joyce pleaded guilty to larceny and other charges in Connecticut and their company is being sued by the Maine attorney general for unfair and deceptive trade practices. Adam Joyce also faces a charge of attempted larceny in Middlesex County.
We didn't receive any comment from Joyce or his companies. Police and the Chimney Guild say you should use local companies for any work and check them out with the Better Business Bureau. Never have any companies that are soliciting in person or on the phone work on your chimney.
