An unlicensed furnace installer who targeted elderly clients of his employer to charge exorbitant rates for little or no work claiming rodent damage for some of his charges was arrested Wednesday after an investigation by the San Mateo Police Department.
On Wednesday, July 13, suspect Ricardo Sandoval, 44, of Newman self-surrendered at the San Mateo County Jail, on an arrest warrant issued stemming from an investigation into financial elder abuse, which began in August 2021, according to San Mateo police.
Sandoval, an unlicensed furnace installer and repairman, offered his services on the side at a lower cost and then charged exorbitant rates for doing little or no work.
He also consistently claimed damage caused by rodents as a ploy to justify false work claims. Concerned family members of one victim led to the discovery of Sandoval’s scheme, which spanned several cities within the county, according to police.
San Mateo police detectives were assisted by the California State Licensing Board, in conducting a forensic financial audit. The homes of some of the victims were inspected to confirm they were either grossly overcharged or work had not been performed. Several search warrants were authored for records and ultimately, a $150,000 arrest warrant was issued for Sandoval.
He currently awaits prosecution by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.