Crime & Safety
Cops: 2 'Gypsies' Face Charges for Ripping Off Elderly Stamford Women
It took 8 months to track down the suspects who promised to make home and car repairs that cost the victims more than $40,000.
Two self-described ‘gypsies,’ were arrested Wednesday on charges they posed as home improvement contractors and ripped off two elderly Stamford women who paid more than $40,000 in shoddy repairs.
After an eight-month investigation by Stamford Police Investigator Richard Pompa, the two suspects, identified as Tommy Miller, and his wife, Bobbie White, both 44 who lived at 120 Elizabeth Ave., East Haven, were arrested Wednesday. They were charged with two counts each of second-degree larceny, conspiracy at second-degree larceny and impersonating a licensed home improvement contractor.
The charges stem from the suspects, on two different occasions, befriending an 80-year-old woman from Ogden Road and an 86-year-old woman from Vine Road, who they met at Newfield Shopping Center in June 2014. Police say the suspects convinced the two victims that they would be able to perform general home and car repairs.
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Find out what's happening in Stamfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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After completing the repairs, it was found that the work was less than adequate and posed a danger to the homeowner due to its substandard quality, police said. One victim experienced a loss of $38,000 and the other a $2,200 loss, according to police.
“Both suspects described themselves as Gypsies and unlicensed home improvement contractors who are in business with their sons,” police said in a statement.
Police said, “Due to the fact that the suspects are gypsies it made the process of identifying the two a daunting task since they have no formal identification, never held a typical job, hold no driver’s license and moved about on a regular basis.”
Each suspect is being held on a $43,100 court set cash bond and will be arraigned in state Superior Court in Stamford on Thursday, according to police.
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