Three Charged With Scamming Elderly In Montgomery County Case

WHEATON, MD — Three people were charged with defrauding Maryland elderly of over $100,000 in a Montgomery County Case Wednesday, according to the Washington Post.

Ryan Butler, 26; Kim Butler, 50; and Steve Frazier, 62, claimed they worked for a bogus business they called "Our Family Tree Service" or "Our Family Home Improvement" to scam elderly victims.

This crew preyed on a 94-year-old man living alone in Wheaton, an 82-year-old woman living alone and an 84-year-old woman.

Dubbed "woodchucks" by Montgomery County Police, these kind of criminals capitalize on well-intentioned efforts of other Virginia and Maryland-based crews that offer tree service typically after storms. Most of them live outside of the immediate DC region, but travel to the area to commit this type of fraud.

These offenders target the growing number of people living longer and alone. They approach these victims and initially offer a reasonably priced trim tree service. After the service, the suspects recommend more tree work and home improvement jobs, from everything to chimney repair, missing roof shingles, rooting wood or leaky attics.

None of these recommendations are legitimate, and the suspects charge elderly victims for services barely performed or never performed at all.

Detectives discovered that over four months starting in November 2014, the convicted crew charged the 82-year-old woman more than $80,000 in the trimming and repair scheme, among other scams.

“I can really think of no crime — or very few crimes — that rise to the level of what occurred to these three elderly people in this case," Montgomery County Circuit Judge Robert Greenberg said. "These people were preyed upon."

Ryan Butler and Frazier pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to exploit money from vulnerable adults. Kim Butler was less culpable for the fraud, the judge said.

Greenberg sentenced Ryan Butler to seven years in prison, which was the longest he could sentence him under an earlier plea agreement with prosecutors. Frazier was sentenced to five years following terms of a plea deal, and Kim Butler was sentenced to three years of probation and no jail time.

A fourth suspect, Steve Butler, is being held on charges in Virginia.

Read the full Washington Post article here.

Montgomery County Police have warned residents of this kind of fraud before, especially when the weather gets warmer.

Police said these criminals will attempt to quickly gain the victim's trust. They will create a sense of urgency and pressure the homeowner to hire them immediately.

Police offer these tips for residents to avoid scams:

• Be cautious of door-to-door solicitors who state that they have extra materials or left over supplies from another job and can do the work immediately
• Be wary of a person or company who has no printed materials, such as written contracts, business cards, bid forms, etc.

When hiring someone to perform work around your home, do your homework:

• Ask for recommendations from friends, family and neighbors. Check with your local Better Business Bureau and their lists of accredited businesses and reviews.
• Research if the person or company performing the work has a license. In Maryland, home improvement companies and tree care companies must be licensed to perform work in the state.
• Verify a business’ license status by calling the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection at 240-777-3636. OCP has a record of merchant complaints online
• Insist on a written contract with details on what work will be done, materials to be used, etc. If changes are made as work progresses, ask the contractor to amend the contract to reflect those changes
• Be mindful of your neighbors and family members, especially those who are older and may be more vulnerable to these scams. Call police if you suspect that someone you know is about to enter into a scam

See all tips from the Montgomery County Police here.

Patch File Photo