Bogus Home Repair Scheme Lands Two Men in Jail

Matt Boster

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Posted by: Matt Boster
Date: Oct 07 2015 7:50 AM

Two men have been arrested in connection with an effort to defraud local residents through a bogus home repair scheme. The investigation is continuing. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office received a number of calls October 4th and 5th in connection with a suspicious newer model black Dodge pickup truck in areas of Mary Esther and Fort Walton Beach.

 A 74-year old Camellia Drive resident in Mary Esther reported three men knocked on her door October 4th and told her a squirrel was damaging a vent on her roof. One of the individuals asked her if she wanted it repaired. After she said yes, he went on the roof and stated he had fixed it. She planned to pay $35 dollars with a check but they said they only take cash and would come back the next day. They returned October 5th with an invoice for $950.

She told them to leave. She says an unrelated work crew that came to her home told her no repairs had been done to the roof. Page 2 while taking that report yesterday, the deputy overheard a bulletin for three subjects involved in similar suspicious activity. Their vehicle had been spotted near the intersection of Lovejoy Road and Mary Esther Cut-off around 3:20 p.m. A traffic stop was made after the driver failed to signal while making a right hand turn. It was later learned the driver gave the deputy a false name, was driving on a suspended license, had a stolen tag on the truck, and no insurance.

A search of the truck turned up a bottle of prescription pills that had been taken from the home on Camellia Drive. The homeowner came to the scene and positively identified the trio as the men who had been at her home the day before. The search also turned up an uncashed $8000 check along with identification and credit cards belonging to an 87-year old female.

At this time, the driver, 24-year old Christopher Frame of Killeen Texas, is charged with grand theft from a person 65 or older, criminal mischief, petty theft, and providing false information to a law enforcement officer. 18-year old Isaac Jones of Texarkana Arkansas is charged with burglary, theft of a controlled substance, possession of a subscription without a prescription, and providing false information to a law enforcement officer.

Currently there are no charges filed against the third individual, who says he had hitched a ride with Frame and Jones in Tyler Texas.

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