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Friday, November 17, 2017

Canisteo man accused of home improvement scam in Wyoming County



On Thursday, the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of a Canisteo man following the investigation of yet another alleged home repair/improvement scam that occurred in the Town of Arcade involving elderly victims. Howard D. Pratt, 43, of 4 Green Street in Canisteo was charged with felony Grand Larceny in the Third Degree after he allegedly charged an elderly couple in the Town of Arcade $12,000 for home improvements to their attic and chimney.  Deputies stated in a press release that Pratt, who is currently on Probation in Steuben County, allegedly did very little work and never returned.
Pratt turned himself in at the Town of Arcade Court and was arraigned before Justice Bell Beyer.  Pratt was released on his own recognizance as he is still on probation and is scheduled to appear back in the Town of Arcade Court at a later date.
The Sheriff’s Office said that based on the investigation, it is believed that Pratt has been doing home improvement/repair scams in the Western New York and Southern Tier area with other people from Cohocton, Avoca, and Perkinsville, N.Y.  They allegedly go door to door with the urgency of  immediate work that is needed to be done to a residence and then charge large sums of money.  The repairs are not even needed and the work is not done when they receive the money.  Anyone with information or a similar complaint is asked to contact the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office at 585-786-8989.