Bowie Handyman Fakes Driveway Work, Demands $2,450 From Homeowner: Police

BOWIE, MD — Police have arrested a local handyman known as "Spanky Frank" of Bowie, Md. on charges of theft after they say he threatened a woman who had him do her driveway. Initially, the resident said that Frank approached a resident in the 2800 block of Stony Brooke Drive in Bowie on Aug. 2 and offered to seal and resurface the driveway for $40, according to the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office.

"After supposedly coating the driveway Frank told the resident that the price was $1,000 dollars," the report states. "According to the warrant the resident indicated that Frank’s demeanor caused her to be fearful. The warrant further states that after the resident paid the $1,000 dollars Frank told her that she needed to give him another $1,450 dollars, which she did with two personal checks."

The victim later noticed that the driveway hadn't been sealed at all, but had merely been spray-painted black. Frank was not licensed to do home improvement work in the state of Maryland either through the Maryland Home Improvement Commission or the Maryland Department of Taxation.

Police issued a warrant for Frank Aug. 12 and located him in Jessup, Md. Frank was taken into custody without incident.

He faces charges of acting as a contractor without a license, failure to perform contract and selling home improvement without a license.

Image via Prince George's County Sheriff