Home Repair Fraud Lands 2 Men In Will County Jail: Chief

MINOOKA, IL — The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow has filed five felony charges against two out-of-town men accused of committing home repair fraud against an elderly Minooka husband and wife.

Minooka's Police Department spearheaded the investigation that led to Wednesday afternoon's arrests of co-defendants Mark Ziko, age 53, and his colleague, Sonny Ely, who is 72 years old. Ziko is from Chicago while Ely lives in Burbank.

Ely and Ziko are charged with three counts of aggravated home repair fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit theft and one count of criminal damage to property. The incident leading to their arrests also happened Wednesday at a home in the village, according to Minooka Police Chief Justin Meyer.

The chief of police said the victim called police after she began to suspect the two men were committing home repair fraud against her. They had solicited her with a flier and began tearing up the woman's driveway and using a product that is not conducive for repairing driveways, according to Minooka police.

"These individuals are known throughout the Chicago area for home repair fraud," Chief Meyer told Joliet Patch's editor.

At the time of the arrests, Ely "admitted to being a scammer," Meyer said.

The aggravated home repair fraud complaint states that Ely and Ziko "knowingly entered into an agreement or contract, written or oral, with an elderly person ... both persons 60 years of age or older, for home repair ... improvement of a driveway, and ... promised performance which he did not intend to perform or knew would not be performed ... and the amount of the agreement or contract was more than $500."

The second charge states that Ely and Ziko "used or employed deception or false pretense in order to induce, encourage or solicit (the victims) to enter into any agreement or contract, to wit: that be was with Caluchas Roofing, Inc. and was licensed, insured and bonded, and the amount of the agreement or contract was more than $500."

The conspiracy to commit theft charges informs the judge "that said defendant and his co-defendant, approached (the victims) and provided literature and represented they were with Caluchas Roofing, Inc., and were a licensed, insured and bonded company and that they would repair the ... driveway, for the payment of $2,400 ..."

According to Will County's prosecutors, both defendants worked together to obtain by deception, control over the property in excess of $500 but less than $10,000 in value from the homeowner.

The fifth and last felony accused the two men of damaging the victims' driveway, and the cost of the damage was between $500 and $10,000.

The Minooka Police Department arrested both men on Wednesday. On Friday, Ely and Ziko remained in their Will County jail cells. Ely's bail is $50,000 while Ziko's bail is $100,000.