By Keith Heffintrayer | North Penn Now
Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office
A Montgomery County electrician has been arrested after allegedly scamming more than $470,000 from 64 homeowners in six Pennsylvania counties over a two-year period.
Advertisements
Joseph Ford, 53, of the 3400 block of Germantown Pike, Collegeville, was arrested Friday and charged by Lower Providence Township Police and Montgomery County detectives on 64 felony counts each of deceptive business practices, false statements to induce agreement for home improvement, theft, receiving stolen property, and theft by deception, and four felony counts of access device fraud, according to arrest documents.
Ford was arraigned last Friday before Montgomery County District Judge John Kessler, who set bail at $50,000 cash. He was sent to Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail, however Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Thomas DelRicci revised the bail to 10 percent of $50,000 during a bail review hearing, with an additional stipulation he have no contact with any of the victims.
Ford had initially been charged for some of these homeowner theft cases in local jurisdictions. All of those cases have since been withdrawn, and he will be prosecuted under one consolidated criminal complaint, authorities said.
Advertisements
Ford is the owner of 1st Call Electric LLC, and he allegedly swindled homeowners between Dec. 3, 2020, and Oct. 13, 2022, in Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia counties, police said. Courts records show there are reported victims in Lower Bucks County.
The theft per homeowner, police said, ranged from $1,419 to $16,450. All in all, Ford allegedly swindled $474,185 from homeowners.
Advertisements
The investigation info Ford’s alleged home improvement fraud began Aug. 22, 2022, when police received two complaints from residents of home improvement fraud involving Ford and his business, police said. As the investigation unfurled, police found that there were numerous alleged victims across multiple jurisdictions and contacted detectives.
During the above time period, police allege Ford took deposits from most of the 64 homeowners for the purchase and installation of a backup generator. The deposit, police said, was for electrical work unrelated to the generator purchase.
None of the homeowners received generators and Ford never showed up to do the electrical work, police allege.
Advertisements
In some cases, customers’ credit cards were charged more than once, police said.
“This defendant was preying on homeowners, many of whom were concerned for their safety in the event of a power outage. He took large deposits from each homeowner, and simply never did any electrical work and never installed the generators,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. “We are consolidating all of these cases as a continuing course of conduct and will be vigorously prosecuting the defendant.”
Advertisements
A preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 31 before a district judge.
Any customers of 1st Call Electric who believe they have been defrauded should contact the Montgomery County Detective Bureau at 610-278-3368 or the Lower Providence Police Department at 610-539-5901.
Advertisements
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
