Man Sentenced For Duping Elderly Alexandria Resident Out Of 61K

ALEXANDRIA, VA—A man that defrauded an elderly Alexandria resident out of over $61,000 has been sentenced in Alexandria Circuit Court on April 17. Robert McCloud Jr., 39, Culpepper, Virginia received a 20-year sentence with all but two years and five months suspended and will pay $61,000 in restitution to the victim.

Prosecutors say McCloud was the leader of a group that duped the 91-year-old woman beginning in February 2015. McCloud claimed to have inspected the victim’s home for possible damage caused by squirrels and holes in the roof and that insulation needing to be replaced. He also claimed that preventative measures such as tree trimming and other pest control were needed, all totaling the price of $3,500.

The defendant quoted her a price of $3,500.00 for the proposed fixes and remediations. The woman agreed to pay, but somehow the group convinced her to write checks totaling $11,800.

This work was never done, but McCloud returned again and said copper pipes and insulation needed to be replaced. The group continued this scheme, claiming they were repairing cracks on the chimney cap and a hole in the roof and adding a "squirrel alert system."

Evidence shows they never completed this work, and the victim overall paid them $61,083.

"The financial exploitation of vulnerable victims is tantamount to extortion and is one of the vilest forms of theft of which I am aware," Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Porter said in a statement after sentencing. "It is unusual for a person convicted of financial crimes to be sent to the penitentiary, and the significant sentence handed down by the Court in this case is illustrative of the gravity of this crime."

Anyone who believes they are a victim of a similar crime should contact contact the Commonwealth's Attorney office at 703-746-4100 or the Alexandria Police at 703-746-4444.

Image via Alexandria Commonwealth's Attorney