Took Payments, But Did No Work
An unlicensed Flushing contractor has been charged with bilking five Queens homeowners out of more than $9,000 paid to him for heating repairs and other work to their residences which he failed to perform, law enforcement sources said.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown identified the defendant as Alfred Lakas, 57-operator of Al’s Heating Service, a.k.a., Al’s Heating and Air-of 172nd Street in Flushing, who was arraigned last Tuesday, May 8, in Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens on a criminal complaint charging him with third-degree grand larceny, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, fourthdegree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, first-degree scheme to defraud, petit larceny, fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, false advertising, and violating the city’s administrative code (AC 28-408.1 master plumbing license required).
Lakas was released without bail and ordered to return to court on June 26. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
“The victims in this case, it is alleged, hired the defendant and paid him substantial amounts of money for work that he never performed. In some instances, the victims-including the elderly-were left without heat in winter,” Brown said. “Consumers should be cautious when hiring a home improvement contractor. Defective or incomplete home improvement repairs are among the top consumer complaints my office re- ceives. To avoid being a victim of a home repair scheme, consumers should request and check a contractor’s references and check with the proper city agencies to ensure that he is licensed.”
Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri added, “New Yorkers depend on contractors to perform construction work in a safe and lawful manner, including obtaining all of the necessary permits and licenses. This individual betrayed that public trust, and this arrest sends a clear message that construction work performed by unlicensed workers will not be tolerated.”
According to the criminal charges, between Aug. 24, 2010, and Nov. 15, 2011, Lakas allegedly misrepresented himself as licensed and qualified to perform various heating and other home repairs to five customers in Queens as well as in advertisements posted on the Internet.
It is alleged that a Queens homeowner who saw Lakas’ truck bearing an advertisement for Al’s Heating Service called the defendant at the listed phone number and met with him on Sept. 28, 2011, to discuss an estimate for installation of a new boiler and removal of an oil tank. The suspect is alleged to have claimed to be licensed to perform the work, to be able to get the necessary permits and gave an estimate of $5,000.
Lakas allegedly received a $1,500 down payment and did not perform the work although he promised it would be down by Nov. 15, 2011- leaving the homeowner without heat and forcing him to rely on electrical heaters during the winter.
In another instance, a Queens homeowner who saw Lakas’ advertisement on the Internet contacted him in regards to moving a boiler, performing the necessary duct work, and installing gas lines and electrical connections. It is alleged that on July 6, 2011, the suspect met with the homeowner at his Ozone Park home and claimed to be licensed and fully insured.
Lakas allegedly gave the homeowner a written estimate of $6,000 to do the work and said he would begin the work in one week in exchange for a $3,000 down payment-which he received. It is alleged that he failed to do any of the work despite being repeatedly contacted by the homeowner, who eventually, in September 2011, hired another contractor for $6,000 to do the job.
According to the criminal complaint, three other Queens homeowners allegedly gave Lakas down payments of $2,000, $1,000 and $1,750, respectively, for various work to be performed in their homes which the suspect failed to do.
The investigation was conducted by Det. Oniel Miller of the District Attorney’s NYPD Squad, under the supervision of Sgt. Francis Teran, Lt. Keith P. Gallagher and Capt. John M. Zanfardino and the overall supervision of Chief Louis M. Croce, Jr. and Chief of Detectives Phil T. Pulaski. Further investigation was conducted by Investigator Nicholas Novellino of the Department of Buildings Special Investigative Unit.
Assistant District Attorney Allison P. Wright of the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Gregory C. Pavlides, bureau chief, and Christina Hanophy, deputy bureau chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M. Cantoni.
It was noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
