Silver Lake Brothers Wanted on Contractor Fraud Charges
Posted
Joe Boals-jboals@timesuniononline.com
COLUMBIA CITY – Two Silver Lake brothers are wanted in Whitley County for their involvement with a home improvement fraud. Elvis A. Allison, 26, and Bobby A. Martin, 22, both of 66 N. Bass Road, Silver Lake, have active warrants in Whitley County for home improvement fraud. The warrants were issued October 11, 2012. On Monday, a third man, George A. Martin of Whitley County, was sentenced to five years in jail, with three years credit, one to be spent in Whitley County Jail and two on home detention for his role in the blacktopping fraud, according to information supplied by the Whitley County Court. Martin also has to pay $12,322 restitution. In July 2012, Whitley County Sheriff’s department was notified by a Columbia City-area woman who handles her elderly brother’s finances that her brother wrote four checks totalling $25,000 to three men, allegedly with a business called Asphalt Services, to make enhancements to a driveway on her brother’s farm. A case report from the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department stated the woman was concerned that her elderly brother didn’t understand the value of the product and work done on the driveway. The driveway was only paved at roughly two and a half feet to cover tire tracks, and not the entire driveway. Parts of the asphalt were six inches deep, while other areas were so thin weeds had grown through, as detailed in the WCSD case report. An investigation found two checks totaling $12,000 made to both Allison brothers by name, and not Asphault Services, the business. The woman provided a proposal for sealing the new driveway estimated at only $1,300, but the final check for sealing ended up being $13,000. The proposal didn’t include a company name or address, and only a hand-written cell phone number. A WCSD investigator spoke with several area asphalt businesses and determined the actual value of the work performed. One company estimated $2,985 to place asphalt, compared to the $12,000 paid to the Allison brothers. Another company estimated only $628 to seal the driveway, compared to the $13,000 charged by Martin. After an investigator attempted to contact the business, a man who did not identify himself or the business informed the investigator that the sealing was a special sealant, but was hesitant to provide any more explanation. The investgator informed the man that he believed the company took advantage of an elderly home owner, to which the man allegedly with Asphalt Services stated he was contacting his lawyer. The investigator then informed the man that the case was being forwarded to the Whitley County prosecutor for review. A business by the name of Allison Roofing and Pavement is listed on the Better Business Bureau’s website, bbb.org The listing shows the same address as the Allison brothers, but the phone number listed has been disconnected. A spokesperson with the BBB in Fort Wayne stated this morning that the Allison brothers are listed as itinerant workers. Itinerant workers are notorious for moving from area to area doing contract work, the spokesperson said, and the BBB receives many complains as the workers either perform poor or incomplete work before moving to another location. Elvis A. Allison is described as a white male, 5’3”, 130 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Bobby A. Allison is described as a white male, 5’9”, 250 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information on the Allison brothers can contact the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department at 260-244-6410.
