Welcome to The Home Equity Theft Reporter, a blog dedicated to informing the consumer public and the legal profession about Home Equity Theft issues. This blog will consist of information describing the various forms of Home Equity Theft and links to news reports & other informational sources from throughout the country about the victims of Home Equity Theft and what government authorities and others are doing about it.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Chronic Con Man/Contractor Pinched For Running Serial Home Improvement Ripoffs Gets An Add'l 12 Months In Jail For Criminal Contempt After Already Serving 90 Days For Violating Court Order In Civil Case
From the Office of the New York Attorney General:
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman [] announced that Justice John F. O’Donnell sentenced George Anna, a Western New York home improvement contractor, to 360 days in jail.
In 2012, the Attorney General obtained a court order barring Anna from the home improvement business unless he first posted a $100,000 performance bond. In the 2012 case, the Attorney General proved that, time and time again, Anna took money from consumers and failed to provide the home improvement services for which he had been paid.
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In May of 2015, Attorney General Schneiderman’s office learned that Anna was holding himself out as a home improvement contractor, despite never having posted the bond. An investigation by the Attorney General showed that, despite the court order, Anna again was taking money for home improvements, but not providing the services – the very conduct that led to the court order in the first place. The Court sentenced Anna to 90 days in jail.
In August 2015, Attorney General Schneiderman’s office learned that Anna was again holding himself out as a home improvement contract and again was ripping off consumers. As a result, Attorney General Schneiderman’s office moved to have Anna held in criminal contempt of the Court’s order leading to [the] sentencing of Anna to 360 days in jail.
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