(BALTIMORE, 10/15/10) - An investigation by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) into a
contractor who repeatedly made unnecessary repairs on a rowhome owned by a 94-year-old Baltimore City woman
and charged her for work he did not perform has resulted in a guilty plea to theft and reimbursement for most
of the homeowner's losses.
"We want to thank the Office of the State's Attorney in Baltimore City for its outstanding cooperation with
us in obtaining this result on behalf of Maryland consumers," said Stanley Botts, Commissioner of
Occupational and Professional Licensing for DLLR. "State's Attorney's Offices all over Maryland have partnered
with DLLR investigators in the past several years to aggressively prosecute individuals who have ripped off
homeowners or put Marylanders in potential danger by posing as licensed professionals when they lacked the
required credentials or experience."
"These partnerships are an important tool in protecting Marylanders from unfair and unsafe business
practices, which is a critical part of DLLR's mission."
Daniel Clark, 45, of Ellicott City, pleaded guilty in Baltimore City Circuit Court on October 5 to theft
by scheme of more than $500. He was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation and repaid $10,000 to the
victim, in addition to $20,000 previously repaid. Commissioner Botts praised Baltimore City Assistant
State's Attorney Shari Greene and MHIC investigator Michael Miller for their diligent work and cooperation in
bringing this case to a successful conclusion.
The MHIC refers an average of approximately 30 cases per month for criminal prosecution in local courts
around Maryland and obtains an average of approximately 20 convictions a month.
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