A Berks County male formerly sentenced to probation for residence enhancement fraud in 3 counties faces new fraud counts following Mohnton law enforcement accused him of ripping off two borough property owners to the tune of virtually 11,000.
Joseph Duerr, 39, whose previous recognised deal with was detailed as the 2800 block of Sturbridge Courtroom in Spring Township, was arrested Monday by members of the warrants division of the Berks County sheriff’s business office.
Arrest aspects ended up unavailable.
Duerr was dedicated to the county jail in lieu of $100,000 bail immediately after arraignment Monday night in advance of District Decide Dean R. Patton in Reading through Central Court.
In equally conditions he’s billed with dwelling improvement fraud, theft by deception and misleading company techniques.
Duerr has pleaded responsible to equivalent counts in Lehigh County in 2019, Lancaster County in 2020 and Berks County in 2017, according to court information.
He was specified several years of probation in every single of these conditions, with the stipulation that he have to fork out restitution to the victims in entire all through his probationary time period.
Mohnton police Main Eric Pistilli claimed he was dispatched Sept. 16 to examine studies of contractor fraud towards two householders with adjoining backyards.
Pistilli offered the adhering to aspects in the the possible cause affidavits:
Each victims claimed they hired Duerr, who purported to be a certified household improvement contractor beneath the name Northeast Epoxy LLC, to make backyard advancements.
The do the job was never completed, prompting them to discover by world-wide-web investigate that Duerr was on probation for contractor fraud.
A person property owner mentioned she gave Duerr a look at for $3,000 on July 30 as a down payment for advancements to her yard drop, which includes a stone walkway and retaining wall.
She designed the examine payable to Northeast Epoxy but the receipt she acquired from Duerr was beneath the letterhead of a distinctive corporation, Truss Intercontinental Design Co.
Three days later, Duerr contacted the house owner and said that his staff would be dividing the position into a few phases. Considering that Duerr had previously deposited her examine, the house owner experienced minimal preference but to continue on on with the arrangement.
On Aug. 24, the homeowner contacted Duerr to inquire about the status of the do the job. He explained to her that he scheduled the function to be concluded beginning Sept. 8, and that he was sending a crew that would comprehensive the operate in a single working day.
On Sept. 8, the target gained a cellphone get in touch with that dropped soon after a person ring. Her caller ID showed it was from Duerr.
She began to obtain many text messages from the very same telephone variety that indicated the job had been set on hold owing to permitting challenges.
Additional text messages on Sept. 22 and 27 advised of permitting issues and probable refunds, but the work was not performed nor was she refunded her down payment.
The other home owner employed Duerr to make backyard enhancements which include developing a covered patio addition. She compensated $7,780 to Duerr through Northeast Epoxy.
On Aug. 25, she was notified by the borough code enforcement officer, Glen Bertolet of Kraft Code Solutions, that neither Duerr nor Northeast Epoxy had utilized for the expected building permit.
Even though Bertolet was on the home, Duerr termed the homeowner on her cellphone.
Bertolet spoke with Duerr specifically and defined the will need for a allow and the system. Duerr said he would utilize for the permit and also stated that he was a accredited contractor.
On Sept. 16, Kraft Code Services issued a recognize of violation/end perform get to the home-owner mainly because Duerr experienced unsuccessful to apply for the design allow.
Pistilli discovered by the research of the Pennsylvania attorney general’s web page that neither Duerr nor Northeast Epoxy are listed as certified contractors, contrary to statements Duerr made to the victims and the code enforcement officer.
Duerr, previously of Richmond Township, was on probation from the 2017 Berks circumstance when he was arrested in 2019 on prices he took revenue from home owners in Allentown and Bethlehem.
He later pleaded guilty to these charges in Lehigh County Court docket and remains on probation in all those circumstances, court docket documents suggest.
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