SIDNEY — The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a multi-County fraud investigation and are seeking any individuals or businesses that may have done business with this specific company and been frauded.

According to Sheriff Jim Frye’s press release, the suspect is known to bid a job, such as roofing or building a barn and after giving them a quote he would write a contract and collect ½% of the estimate as a deposit. He then would not start the project and would tell the victims that he was ordering supplies, the next day or two after collecting the deposit. The contracts were written to have the work completed within 60 of signing the contract.

After giving the suspect the deposit and no materials showing up or any work starting, the victims would call the suspect and he would give them numerous excuses as to why no work was being started. Some of the victims found out that no materials were even ordered.

When the victims became suspicious, that the subject was not going to do the work they had paid for, they called the suspect and he advised he would refund their deposit. The suspect sent the victims a refund in the form of a certified check. When they went to the bank to cash the check, the bank would decline the check due to a stop payment or insufficient funds.

The victims, when contacting the suspect to tell him that the checks did not clear, he would tell them that he would go to the bank and get the money and meet them to get them paid, these meeting would never take place. Other victims were told that an Attorney for the suspect would write up paperwork and distribute a refund for work not done or finished, these meeting would never take place.

The suspect was also known to hire a concrete company to pour concrete and he would not pay for it and in one of the known cases the concrete company put a lien on the property of the victim.

At this time, the investigation has revealed that there are many individuals and businesses from various Counties in Ohio to include Logan, Auglaize, Shelby, Mercer, and Adams County in Indiana. Shelby County Prosecutor Tim Sell and the other county prosecutors have agreed to have all of the cases heard in Shelby County. The Mercer County Prosecutor has indicated that he will manage the prosecution of the suspect in Mercer County.

The suspect has fraudulently taken approximately $375,000 from the victims. This total would include unpaid invoices and deposits that were never returned. There are a total of ten (10) victims at this time and one victim has been taken for $47,500.00.

“Shelby County Prosecutor Tim Sell has asked that we reach out and see if there are any other victims before we present the case to the Shelby County grand jury. If you have done business with J&R Roofing and remodeling and you were defrauded, please contact Shelby County Investigator Angie Jones at 937-494-2116,” said Frye.