Police: Man Installed Lift Chairs, Charged Customers For False Recall Repairs

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The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to come forward if they believe they were a victim of an alleged scam involving a man charging money for fake repairs to stair lift chairs he previously installed.

The sheriff’s office in April took a report of a man, later identified as Dawsonville resident Samuel Mark Ellis, 58, allegedly scamming an Acworth woman out of $345.

Initially, Ellis “at one time legitimately installed stair lift chairs in homes all over the metro area,” sheriff’s office spokesperson Lt. Jay Baker said.

Ellis installed a lift in the Acworth woman’s home about five years ago. Baker said Ellis reached out to the woman and told her about a recall issue with the chair. He told the woman he would perform the work.

“Ellis arrived, claimed to have replaced the part, charged the victim $345 and advised her the manufacturer would reimburse her for the repairs,” Baker added.

The homeowner quickly learned that the incident was a hoax and she had been scammed. She reported the incident, and detectives were able to locate and arrest Ellis in Gwinnett County.

Ellis was booked into the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center May 20 and charged with exploitation and intimidation and theft by deception. He remains in custody and his bond is set at $12,245.

Information discovered during this investigation reveals a high potential for additional victims in the metro Atlanta area, specifically in Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.

The sheriff’s office encourages residents to call Cherokee County District Attorney Investigator Bert Love at 678-493-6318 if they were contacted by Ellis in recent months regarding a recall on lift chairs.

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Photo: Samuel Mark Ellis. Credit: Cherokee Sheriff’s Office