Five men, members of a nomadic community, have been arrested charged with various crimes, including exploitation of the elderly, burglary, grand theft and workers compensation fraud, Polk County deputies said.
Authorities say, 33-year-old Bartholomew Rafferty, of Colorado; 29-year-old Patrick Rafferty of Maryland; 25-year-old Alexander Parker and 30-year-old Charles Evans, both of Delaware, and 17-year-old Joseph B. Croughin, of Pennsylvania, were part of a community referred to as ‘Travelers’, who came to Polk County and preyed on unsuspected victims, particularly the elderly.
Investigators also said, the suspects would solicit victims for business, most often in the construction related work, such as repairs and asphalt work, then give the victims unqualified, uninsured and untruthful estimates for home improvements and repairs.
On Wednesday, a senior citizen working undercover with detectives, posed as an “elderly woman” who was concerned about the structure of her roof. Prior to the investigation a credible roofing contractor inspected the roof and found it structurally sound and not in need of repair. Several “Traveler” businesses were contacted for roof estimates, authorities said.
The suspects were all arrested after they provided false information to the undercover about the roof needing repair, fradulent insurance documents and false certification of insurance regarding the roof repair.
“Scam artists like these will stop at nothing to get your hard-earned cash. They use intimidation, fear and confusing conversation to coerce victims out of their money,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “Don’t be fooled by their sales pitch or their professional appearances. This investigation should send a clear message – we will not tolerate these so called travelers to gyp our citizens, and if they try, they will travel to jail.”
All suspects are being held on $20,000.00 bond per count.
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