EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — A contractor is being charged after detectives say he committed home improvement fraud, taking $73,000 from more than a dozen property owners for work he didn’t finish.
According to the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, an investigation began in January after complaints were received from residents throughout Luzerne County of home improvement fraud.
Detectives stated Brian Cosgrove, 36, of Weatherly, took advance payment from property owners in Butler Township, White Haven, Foster Township, and Freeland from December 1, 2020, through March 31 of 2023, resulting in a combined $73,294 loss to the victims.
Through investigation, police said many complaints from victims claimed Cosgrove would ask for more money for special order items but the materials weren’t ordered, and in a few cases, work wasn’t completed, resulting in damage to some of the properties of the victims.
One victim told police she provided Cosgrove with a $4,000 check but he did not finish the demolition work she hired him to do, as stated in the affidavit.
Cosgrove has been charged with receiving advance payment for services and failed to complete, damaging property, and misrepresenting items as special orders. He was released on a $50,000 unsecured bail.
Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sangueldolce stated an investigation into Cosgrove business BZB Roofing and Remodeling is ongoing.
Sanguelodce advised if anyone in Luzerne County feels they have been a victim of home improvement fraud regarding Consgrove’s company, please contact your local police department to file an initial report. Once the reports are received and pressed by your local department, they will be forwarded to the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office Detective Division for further investigation.
