Wife gets probation in All Seasons scam case
Published 10:48 am Thursday, October 16, 2014
Four years probation and the expectation to pay back thousands of dollars to duped homeowners was the punishment for one half of the couple charged in the All Seasons of Kentucky construction scam.
Carol Richard, of Manhattan, Illinois, co-owner of All Seasons, who previously pleaded guilty to a count of third-degree attempted engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, was sentenced Wednesday in Judge D. Scott Bowling’s courtroom to four years community control sanctions under intensive supervised probation. If she fails to follow the rules of the Adult Probation Agency, she could be sent to prison for up to 36 months.
Bowling also ordered her to pay $143,426 in restitution.
J. Bartley Cosgrove, assistant Ohio attorney general of the consumer protection and economic crimes unit, who prosecuted the case, said his office recommend probation because of Richard’s lack of a criminal record.
Cosgrove also said although it was “no doubt” that Richard was a beneficiary of the money that was gained illegally through All Seasons, but she was not running the day-to-day operations of the business.
Her probation also gives her the opportunity to continue working to pay off the restitution, Cosgrove said.
To date, Cosgrove said about $46,625 has been paid to the clerk’s office and once the full amount is paid, the funds would be distributed in proportion to each victim’s loss.
The woman’s husband, Patrick Richard, who previously pleaded guilty to 11 fourth-degree counts of theft from the elderly and two fourth- and 22 fifth-degree counts of theft, is expected to be sentenced on Jan 7.
The Richards were indicted in November 2013 on more than 100 criminal acts following a months-long investigation by the Ironton Police Department and Ohio Attorney General’s Office into allegations the company was paid for home repair services but did not perform any or all of the work they were hired to do.
All Seasons of Kentucky operated in Ironton from December 2012 to April 2013. Dozens of consumers complained the business did no work at all or did work that was shoddy.
After taking customers’ money and doing little or no work, records allegedly show the owners made personal car payments and yacht club payments from the All Seasons of Kentucky bank account, according to the attorney general’s office.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office also filed a civil lawsuit against All Seasons of Kentucky and the Richards in September 2013. The lawsuit, which was filed in the Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas, concluded with a default judgment in July 2014. The defendants were ordered to pay $169,004 in consumer restitution and $75,000 in civil penalties.
Shields Roofing and Construction, of South Point, also filed a lawsuit in June of 2013, which concluded in August of this year with a judgment of $43,241 awarded to the plaintiff for unpaid services.