L.I. Brothers Arrested Again For Chimney Scam Of Elderly Woman
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - Two brothers from Long Island had just paid for one crime when they were charged with another.
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Bruce Wimmer of Holbrook, and his brother Michael Cristiano of Patchogue, had dropped off a check at the Queens District Attorney's office, making partial restitution for their admitted past crimes against the elderly, operating an unlicensed chimney repair business, police said.
They called their business Reliable Chimney and the scam involved overcharging for work never done, officials said.
Just hours after dropping off their check, they were busted in Flushing in the driveway of a 90-year-old woman, who District Attorney Richard Brown says had been cheated out of $24,185 for work that was not done or was minimal at best.
"The defendants were given the opportunity to plead guilty and make full restitution in order to spare their elderly victims the stress and ordeal of testifying at trial. However, it appears that the defendants did not learn from their earlier encounter with the criminal justice system," said Brown in a statement. "They are alleged to have once again targeted an elderly Queens homeowner to steal a substantial amount of money. Their alleged crime is particularly egregious and will be vigorously prosecuted."
The defendants, who face up to fifteen years in prison if convicted, are each being held on $35,000 bail.
Their next court date is October 4.
Brown said that any other individuals who believe they may also have been victimized by the defendants should call the District Attorney's Economic Crimes Bureau at 718-286-6673 to file a complaint.
