Seventeen individuals have been charged in connection with home improvement fraud as a result of arrests in Nassau County. Three of those charges have had their vehicles seized and two of the 17 individuals are charged with felonies punishable by up to seven years in prison.

Prosecutors said that on Dec. 19, 2003, a Floral Park woman gave William Walsh, 39, of W.J. Walsh Structures Inc., 47 Sweet Gum Lane, Miller Place, a licensed home improvement contractor, an installment payment which included the sum of $4,000 for the purchase and installation of windows in her home as part of an extensive home improvement renovation project. Prosecutors say that Walsh never purchased the windows and used the money for unrelated business and personal expenses. Walsh eventually abandoned the project and left the house in a partially renovated and unlivable condition. He has been charged with one count of grand larceny in the third degree, a Class D felony, punishable by up to 7 years in prison.

Prosecutors say that Stavros Tsagooris, 46, of Astros Contracting, 2 Andrew Lane, Bethpage, was an unlicensed contractor hired by a Westbury homeowner to do an extension to their home. Starros gave the homeowner an alleged insurance certificate claiming he was fully insured. When the homeowner had problems with the work Tsagooris had done she tried to put in an insurance claim. It was at that point she learned the certificate had allegedly been forged and the dates changed to make it appear that the expired policy was current. Tsagooris has been charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, a Class D felony.

Charged with operating a home improvement business without a license, a Class A misdemeanor, having had their vehicles seized by the Office of Consumer Affairs was Daniel St.Prix, 56, of HSB Construction, 284 E. 55th Street, Brooklyn. St.Prix was paid $160,000 to do a major reconstruction of a house in Uniondale but prosecutors said St .Prix only did a small portion of the work leaving the house in poor condition and exposed to the elements. The homeowner called St. Prix and he then asked her for an additional $20,000 to complete the job. At that point investigators from the DA’s office arranged to be there when he returned to the Uniondale home. When he arrived to her Uniondale home he was placed under arrest by Nassau County DA Investigators and his vehicle was seized.

Anthony Giangrande, 39, of AGGC Masonry Construction, 22 Elm Drive, New Hyde Park also had his vehicle seized. On Thursday Sept. 1, an Investigator from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office visited a work site that AGGC Masonry construction Inc., where they were doing a masonry job.. The investigator got a phone number for the owner of the company, Anthony Giangrande. He then contacted Giangrande and set up a meeting at an undisclosed location to have Giangrande provide an estimate for masonry on the investigator’s purported home. On Sept. 7, at approximately 2:30p.m. Giangrande operating a 2001 Mercedes, arrived for the meeting and stated that he was the owner of AGGC Masonry Construction, Inc. After the investigator described that he was interested in having him replace a driveway measured the area of the driveway and gave the investigator a business card with the price of $6,600 to do the job. At that time Giangrande was placed under arrest and his car was seized for operating a home improvement busineess without a license.

On Sept. 8, Lonardo Carlo Lonardo of C.E.M. Construction, 57, of 199 Dix Hills Road, Dix Hills, met with an undercover investigator from the Nassau County DA’s Office. Lonardo arrived at the predetermined location in a 2001 Jeep and represented himself as the owner of CEM Construction Inc. After the undercover expressed an interest in having him replace a driveway, he gave a written estimate on a pre-printed form with his company name and address. Lonardo agreed to do the job for $6,300 within the next week or so. At that time, Nassau DA investigators placed Lonardo under arrest and his vehicle was seized by representatives of the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs.

Others charged with operating a home improvement business without a license, a Class A misdemeanor, are Christos Gotsis, 38, of J.V.C., 169-09 Under Hill Avenue, Flushing. Prosecutors say that on May 10, 2004, a Levittown resident contacted Gotsis of J.V.C., which at the time was operating out of 30-77 42nd Street, Long Island City, for home improvements to his home. The contract was for the removal of the existing siding and shingles on the victim’s house and roof and installing new insulating foam and new siding, new aluminum trim, and a new roof with ice shield. The contract also included the removal of two sky lights, the installation of two new skylights and installation of six new windows and new capping. The total cost of the work was to be $12,920 and Gotsis was paid in cash. The work was not completed, and there were problems with the work that was done by Gotsis. The victim in this case had to pay an additional $3,500 for the roof to be re-done by another contractor.

Others charged and the allegations made against them by prosecutors are as follows:

• Ruperto Torres, 29, of 30-16 North Street, Wyandanch, New York
  On Sept. 29, 2003 a resident of Freeport,  contacted Torres operating out of 92 Friends Lane in Westbury , for home improvements to his Freeport home. The contract was for cement work in his rear yard and the total cost of the job was to be $3,500. The victim then gave Torres a $1,750 deposit by check. Torres started on a Sunday with one helper. They dug up the victims grass and brought a truck in that dropped sand on the side of the victims house. Torres never returned to complete the job after that day.

• Theophilu Hilias, 51, of 8 St. Mary’s Place, Freeport
  On Sept. 1, 2004, a Hicksville woman contacted Hilias for home improvements to her home. The contract was for vinyl siding on her house and shed. The contract also included gutters and leaders. The total cost of the work was to be $13,000, of which the victim paid Hilias the full amount in cash. Hilias started the work and never returned back to the Hicksville home to complete the job. He left the victims home without siding and did not even start the work on the shed or the gutters and leaders. In addition he left electrical and telephone wires hanging. The victim had to pay an additional $3,350 to complete the work.

• Lloyd Dunn, a.k.a. Devin Delwin and Devin Davis, 72, of Three DD, 886 East New York Avenue, Brooklyn 
  On Oct. 13, 2004, a West Hempstead man contacted Dunn for home improvements to his home. The contract was for the re-finishing of kitchen cabinets and the total cost of the work was to be $63,130, of which the victim paid the total amount by check. The job was completed but the hardware was never returned and installed. . The cutting board front was never finished and the laquer that was applied to the cabinets was defective.

• Daniel Cantalupo, 24, of Creative Concepts Contracting, 1067 Theodora Street, Franklin Square  On Sept. 10, 2003 and Feb. 2004, a Franklin Square woman contracted with Cantalupo for home improvements to her home. The contract was for a complete home renovation, including plumbing, and electrical work. The total cost of the work was to be $150,000. Cantalupo only finished about half of the contracted work but had already collected $164,000 from the victim. Cantalupo left the home with electrical wires exposed, improper plumbing and hazardous materials scattered around the house. The victim had to hire another contractor to complete the work costing her approximately $80,000.

• Ernie Smith, 61, of ERNCO, 221-26 112th Avenue, Queens Village  
  On May 17, 2004 a Freeport man contracted Smith for home improvements on his home. The contract was for the removal and replacement of the roof of his home. The total cost of the work was to be $3,500, of which he paid $2,000 in cash. Smith began the work, never completing the job leaving the victim with a lot of water damage due to water leaking through the shoddy roofing. After unsuccessfully being able to get Smith to come and fix the roof, the victim contacted other roofer, who told the victim it was done incorrectly and that the job would have to be redone. The victim wound up having to pay an additional $4,000 to another contractor to correct and complete the job.

• Clayton Hunt, 45, of Artisan Craft, 71 Edmunton Drive - F8, North Babylon  
  On July 2, 2004 a Planview man contacted Hunt for home improvements to his home. The contract was for the removal of carpeting and then sanding and applying of polyurethane to the floors of two bedrooms. The total cost of the job was $290, of which the victim paid in full by check. The job was started and not completed and damage was done to the surrounding work area.

• Michael Nemecek, 40, of NEMCO Construction, 31 Muncey Road, Bay Shore  
  In December of 2003 a Merrick resident contracted with Nemecek for home improvements. The contract was for a major home renovation, including a back extension and raising the second floor, all plumbing and electrical work. The total cost of the work was approximately $268,000 of which $200,000 was paid in checks and cash. Nemecek sub-contracted out the framing, which was completed. However Nemecek was not paying his sub-contractors. The plumber was not paid, the concrete contractor, dumpster company, and the air conditioner company were all paid with checks that bounced. In addition, the siding contractor walked off the job. The exterior of the house was completed, but none of the sub-contractors were paid. The victim wound up paying twice for certain items and had to pay and additional contractor $60,000 to correct and complete the work.

• Fred Schulze, 48, of The Fred Shulze Company, 230 Bayville Avenue, Bayville  
  On June 29, 2003 a Garden City resident contracted with Fred Shulze for home improvements to her home. The contract was for major renovations including the den, mudroom, bedrooms and bathrooms. The total cost of the work was to be $35,875, of which the entire amount was paid in cash.  Immediately after completion, work in the den, bathroom/mudroom areas began to warp and come undone. The victim contacted Shulze and he agreed to return to the home and repair the damage . However, he never returned.

• Igor Martinov, a.k.a., Zeke Martinov, 38, of Zeke Construction, 43 Jefferson Avenue, Rockville Centre  
  On Nov. 18, 2003, a Merrick resident contacted Martinov for home improvements to his home. The contract was for a second story addition to his existing home. The addition was to include a master bedroom, bath, closets and a study. The total cost was to be $132,663, of which the victim paid the full amount by checks. The job was never completed and there were many problems with the work that was done. There was also damaged to the home caused by the workers of Zeke Construction, In total the victim paid an additional 48,135.15 to other contractors and suppliers, to correct and complete the work.

• Aris Papageorge, 41, of The Pool Liner Specialist, a.k.a. L.I. Liner Co., 2014 Fanwood Street, Oakhurst, NJ  
  On April 10, 2004, a Merrick resident contacted the Pool Liner Specialist for home improvements to his home. The contract was for a new liner for his pool. The total cost was to be $3,026.88, of which the entire amount was paid for in cash and by check. The installation of the liner was poorly done and did not fit properly.. He contacted Papageorge and he said that he would come and look at the liner. However he never returned to the victims home.

• Mario DePaola, 45, of Mario’s Renovations, 77 Greenwood Road, Bay Shore  
  In July of 2003 a Bethpage resident contacted DePaola for home improvements to her home. The contract was for bathroom renovations and the total cost of the work was to be $11,091, of which she paid $9,795 by checks. The work was started and progressed well for about two weeks. After that workers stopped showing up to the home. The job was left incomplete. The victim had to pay additional contractors and suppliers approximately $2,000 to correct and complete the job. 9-14-05