Electric company owner charged for alleged theft of 64 Philly area homeowners
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- A Collegeville man has been arrested for an alleged six-county-wide scheme where he defrauded more than 50 homeowners of nearly $500,000.
Joseph Ford, 53, the owner of 1st Call Electric LLC, was charged more than 300 felony counts related to the theft of $474,185 from 64 homeowners in Montgomery, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia counties, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday.
Ford was arrested on Jan. 20 and charged with theft by deception, receiving stolen property, deceptive business practices and other offenses, according to a release.
The Montgomery County District Attorney said the investigation into Ford's business practices began in August of 2022 after Lower Providence Township police got two resident complaints involving Ford and his company.
But police say they quickly determined there were other victims.
The joint investigation by Montgomery County detectives and police found that Ford, doing business as 1st Call Electric LLC, took deposits from most of the 64 homeowners to purchase a home backup generator to install.
According to a release, the deposit was for electrical work to be performed -- unrelated to a generator purchase. But none of the homeowners received generators and the contracted electrical work wasn't performed.
The Montco District Attorney also alleges that in several cases residents that used 1st Call Electric LLC had their credit card charged more than once. The theft per homeowner varied, ranging from $1,419 to $16,450, according to a release.
Ford had previously been charged for some homeowner theft cases in local jurisdictions, but they've now been consolidated in Montgomery County.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31 at 9 a.m.
