Elderly Woman Scammed Out Of $31K In Morris County

ROXBURY, NJ — An elderly Roxbury woman was scammed out of $31,500 when a man lied about fixing her roof, Roxbury police said.

Sonny L. Stanley, 42, of Guttenberg, was arrested on Friday and charged with theft by deception, resisting arrest, and obstructing administration of law for allegedly swindling 78-year-old woman out of thousands of dollars by offering to fix her roof and not doing any work.

Stanley first met the woman on Sept. 26, police said, when he told her that her roof was rotting and needed a new sealant to prevent further damage. He offered to do the work himself, and asked the woman to take $20,000 out of the bank.

The woman withdrew $11,000 and handed it over. The next day, Stanley allegedly requested another $9,000 and provided the woman with a list of repairs already made. He said he'd need an additional $30,000 to finish the work.

On Oct. 4, Stanley allegedly asked for another $11,500, which the woman handed over. Stanley told her he'd be back for the other $18,500 he asked for.

The women reported Stanley to the police at this point, saying she'd only paid him because he was intimidating, but she didn't want to continue paying for work that hadn't been done.

On Oct. 13, Stanley came to the woman's house to ask for more money. When police arrived, Stanley allegedly fled on foot through the backyard and over a fence before being arrested. Police say they confirmed no work had been done on the woman's roof, nor had their been any need for repairs.

Roxbury police are hoping this story can be a warning for others in the area.

"We all have parents and grandparents, so when we see a person taking serious advantage of someone that could be our grandmother, you can bet it didn’t sit well with us," police said. "Please share this story with the elderly members of your family or elderly neighbors."

They also shared tips for avoiding contractor scams:

• Do not open the door and do not go outside with them.
• Do not give them any money.
• Call the police department immediately.
• One of our officers will respond to your house to determine if work is really needed and if the contractor is legitimate.

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