Harrison police have arrested three nomadic contractors who they say spent 10 years traveling the country and scamming homeowners out of a combined $1 million for work the trio never intended to finish.
Ringleader Anthony Delmaro, his wife Ruby Stevenson and son Geno Delmaro were charged last week after an investigation into what police officials called “Gypsy” contracting. The trio used numerous aliases, operated several different contracting and roofing companies, and continually changed cellphones and addresses, police said.
Anthony Delmaro traveled over nine years from Texas to New York, soliciting customers through mass faxes offering home improvement work. He”™d give estimates and collect payment for work, then either leave the work incomplete or never do the work at all. Four years ago, he allegedly scammed a New Rochelle victim out of nearly $500,000, Harrison police said.
The town police began their investigation after Anthony Delmaro accepted $5,000 from an elderly Harrison couple in October for work he never performed. The Delmaros were reportedly arrested at a Yonkers bowling alley last week and Stevenson was arrested separately. At the time of their arrests, the trio lived in Lindenhurst, Suffolk County.
Anthony Delmaro was charged with grand larceny, Stevenson is facing conspiracy charges and Geno Delmaro has been charged with larceny. Anthony Delmaro is being held in Westchester County Jail with no bail, while Stevenson and Geno Delmaro were being held at the jail with bail set at $10,000.
The suspects were said to have at least six outstanding warrants in various states.
