LEWISTON – Police arrested a Blake Street man this week and accused him for the second time of bilking customers out of home repair work.
Harold S. Soper Jr., 47, of 214 Blake St., was charged Tuesday with home repair fraud, theft and violating conditions of release. When he was arrested, Soper was already facing previous charges of home repair fraud for allegedly cheating a Lewiston man out of more than $1,000. He was indicted in November, charged with failing to do the work as promised in May and October.
On Tuesday, Soper was accused of failing to do work on a Hevey Road home after collecting $200 from a man there. Investigators said Soper has a history of similar frauds and was convicted of theft by unauthorized taking last month.
“There have been several complaints about Soper conducting this activity in this area,” Lewiston Police Officer Michael Dumond wrote in a court affidavit.
A Better Business Bureau online database lists three complaints against Soper, in which he is described as a contractor, a handyman and a roofing contractor. Police are investigating other allegations that Soper collected money for work and then failed to show up to complete it.
In the latest incident, a 61-year-old man reported that Soper came to his home Feb. 6 and offered to do repairs on the chimney. According to police, the two men agreed to a price of $300 and Soper collected $100 that day, saying he would need to buy materials.
Police said Soper returned to the home later in the day and claimed he needed more money because he was having trouble with his truck. The customer turned over the money in exchange for $100 being knocked off the total cost of the work.
Several weeks passed. The customer later told police he tried to contact Soper several times by telephone. Finally, he told a woman who answered his call to advise Soper that he would go to the police if the chimney work was not done.
Investigators said Soper then went to the customer’s home and begged him not to contact police because Soper was on probation. The customer agreed, until three more weeks passed and no work was done on the chimney, according to the affidavit. He then went to the police, who issued a warrant for Soper’s arrest.
“I believe that Harold Soper had no intention of doing the work,” the customer wrote in a victim statement.
Officers went to Soper’s home early Tuesday morning and arrested him. He made an initial court appearance Wednesday in 8th District Court and later was released on bail from the Androscoggin County Jail.
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