A Miami-Dade man accused of posing as a roofing contractor was arrested after police said he pocketed customers' payments after not finishing jobs.
John Luis McQueen, 64, was arrested Wednesday on charges of organized scheme to defraud, grand theft and contracting without a license, Miami-Dade Police officials said.
According to police, McQueen, who also goes by the aliases Jeff Nash and Jeffrey McQueen, ripped off at least 13 victims who suffered a total monetary loss of approximately $103,000.
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An investigation uncovered that since August 2019, McQueen defrauded numerous victims by portraying himself as a licensed contractor and offering to build new roofs without a license as required by Florida law.
He also fraudulently used the credentials of a legitimate contractor on fake receipts and contracts across Miami-Dade County, police said.
In one case in 2018, a woman paid McQueen, who identified himself as Nash, $5,450 to re-roof her Cutler Bay home, an arrest warrant said.
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He never completed the work and left damage to the roof, then threatened the woman when she sent him text messages, the warrant said.
Other alleged victims reported similar incidents involving McQueen.
Victoria Jackson in Miami Gardens paid McQueen almost $8,000 upfront. She needed her roof fixed, but she never heard back. Her multiple calls went unanswered.
"Finally, he answered, and he had this really bad attitude," she said. "And he told me, oh, you are supposed to be a Christian — I’m like, I am a Christian, but you did not come to start on the roof. He says, oh, you are not being a Christian, and he hung up on me."
Multiple police agencies were part of the investigation into McQueen, who was found and taken into custody in Hallandale Beach.
Police are still investigating and looking for more possible victims of McQueen.
