A Floral Park plumber was arrested last Thursday for stealing thousands of dollars from nine Long Island homeowners, mostly for house repairs in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said..
David Jensen, 45, was arrested on three counts of grand larceny in the 3rd degree, five counts of grand larceny in the 4th Degree, one count of scheme to defraud in the 1st degree and one count of petit larceny
Jensen, who faces from 2-1/3 years to seven years in prison if convicted on each top charge, was arraigned later on Thursday before Nassau County Court Judge Anthony Paradiso, who set bail at $10,000 cash or bond. Jensen is due back in court on Sept. 12.
The DA’s office said that following Superstorm Sandy in September 2012 Jensen, operating as a Plainview-based plumber doing business as All County Plumbing & Heating or Proline Plumbing & Heating, signed contracts with homeowners to repair heating systems damaged by the storm and received deposits from $1,000 to $4,200.
Jensen, the DA’s office said, advised each of the homeowners that their homes would have to be fitted with equipment from National Grid for him to begin installation of natural gas heating systems – all of whom complied.
The DA’s office said Jensen was subsequently unreachable and never returned to any of the jobs. He also allegedly failed to respond to phone calls or letters demanding a refund of their deposits.
Eight of the nine homeowners cited in the indictment against Jensen paid him to perform work following Superstorm Sandy. Two of the homeowners resided in Elmont, and the others reside in Franklin Square, Massapequa, Wantagh, East Meadow, Roosevelt, Huntington Station and Valley Stream.
In April 2013, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice’s Criminal Complaints Bureau received information from National Grid about customers who reported paying Jensen for repairs to their heating systems that were never performed.
Jensen’s arrest on Sept. 4 was the result of an investigation into the allegations by customers, the district attorney’s office said.
“Almost two years after Sandy hit, homeowners are still struggling to recover from the costly damage incurred by this historic storm,” Rice said. “This case is part of my office’s continuing efforts not only to vigorously prosecute those who scam homeowners struggling in the wake of yesterday’s storms, but to deter others from scamming homeowners in the aftermath of storms to come.”
Assistant District Attorney Edward Bradley of DA Rice’s Government and Consumer Fraud Bureau is prosecuting the case. Jensen is represented by attorney Patrick Kauffman.
Effort to reach Kaufman were unavailing.