Long Island police said two scammers pretending to be home renovation contractors have been caught in Floral Park, targeting elderly homeowners specifically.
According to Nassau County police, the two con artists are named David Young, whose real name is John Francis McDonough, and Adams Turner, whose real name is Anthony Eugene Ward. They posed as a contracting company named “Top Masonry and Construction,” distributed flyers advertising their services, and then used the opportunity to enter elderly homeowners’ residences to steal.
“We call them gypsies, they come here every season, especially this time of year, they come from all over the country, all over the world,” said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder during a press conference on Wednesday, July 24.
Authorities revealed that the two individuals would offer to perform work on elderly people’s homes, creating additional losses for the victims through falsified reports.
“They would tell them that things were broken, at times they would convince them to come out to look at the house, while the other partner went around the back and stole the property inside the home,” Ryder said. “Sometimes they would damage something.”
While frequently targeting elderly victims, in one instance, the intended victim did not fall for their scheme and reported them to the police.
Police stated that Young hails from Ireland and illegally entered the US via Canada, while Turner is from the UK and has an expired visa. Long Island authorities have contacted immigration officials.
These individuals currently face a series of charges.
Authorities noted that so far this year, Nassau County has seen 31 cases of home renovation scams, with 22 involving elderly victims and losses amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. Nine people have been arrested for these crimes.
Police urge anyone who may have been victimized to contact authorities at 1-800-244-8477 or call 911.