Gwinnett County’s top prosecutor felt a bit more confident Wednesday about prosecuting men who he said swindled scores of homeowners in metro Atlanta in a roofing scam despite concerns the state had botched the case.
“I am hopeful as of today we may be able to move forward with the case,” District Attorney Danny Porter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There are still issues but I am hopeful today.”
On Tuesday, Porter had blasted the Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection for taking five years to bring him the case in an interview with Channel 2 Action News. Homeowners began complaining about the company in question, Pinnacle Roofing, in 2009.
Porter noted the clock was ticking on the legal deadline for bringing indictments in the case. The statute of limitations on prosecution is Oct. 1, he said. On Wednesday, Porter said the consumer protection office had told him he would have a complete report on the investigation Thursday to enable him to prepare to bring the case to a grand jury.
The state officials are accusing the Alpharetta company of defrauding metro Atlanta residents of more than $366,000 in scams in which they were to replace or repair roofs damaged by hail, wind or other storm damage.
They are accused of targeting homeowners across Gwinnett, Cobb, Fulton, Clayton, Henry and Forsyth counties, but the bulk of those claims landed in Porter’s jurisdiction.
On Tuesday, officials arrested Scott Richard Knoll, of Michigan, who they said was the company’s chief financial officer, and William Sisson, the operations manager.
“Knoll participated in the scheme to defraud and deceive victims,” said the affidavit for the arrest warrant. “Knoll further assisted in the scheme by delaying customer refunds, lying about the purpose or reason for why a roof installation or refund could not occur.”
The affidavit also named Terry Eugene Kiefer, 53, as a co-defendant. Kiefer’s company National Storm Management owns Pinnacle Roofing, the affidavit said. Tax liens show addresses for Kiefer and his companies ranging in states across the country from Florida to Arizona, according to a Nexis background check.
The Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection said in a statement to Channel 2 that it was a complicated case.
“It essentially started in a bankruptcy court in Georgia with a claim that this was just another failed business venture. Disproving that claim took a long investigation that stretched from Florida to Colorado among other states and required the use of significant resources, human and financial.
“After we determined that there was substantial evidence of criminal behavior, we provided the case to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office and they have agreed to prosecute. Our agency is looking forward to assisting the District Attorney’s Office in this matter any way we can.”
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