Mississippi Makes 13 Home Repair Fraud Arrests

Thirteen arrests have been made recently in home repair fraud cases, announced Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. Those arrested between April 16-22, 2008 (in no particular order) for reported fraud are:

• Joshua Michael Hutchison, age 24, of Pearl River, LA. Arrested on April 17, 2008 for Misdemeanor Home Repair Fraud and Felony Embezzlement. Hutchison was booked at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center. He posted a $6,000 bond and was released.

• Chris Columbus Broom, age 45, McComb, MS. Arrested on April 16, 2008 by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics on Felony Home Repair Fraud. Broom is in the Marion County Jail. No bond has been set as of this date.

• Arley Stephen Floyd, age 58, Bay St. Louis, MS. Arrested on April 16, 2008 on Felony Home Repair Fraud. Floyd was booked into the Hancock County Jail under a $10,000 bond. Floyd posted bond and was released.

• Marvin E. White, age 65, Pass Christian, MS. Arrested on April 16, 2008 on Felony Home Repair Fraud and bond was set at $2,500. White was booked into the Hancock County Jail under a $2,500 bond, which he posted and was released.

• Kurt Alan Larson, age 28, Forest City, IA. Arrested on April 17, 2008 on Felony Home Repair Fraud and Felony Conspiracy to Commit Home Repair Fraud. Larson was booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Facility under a $50,000 bond. Larson posted bond and was released.

• Jeffrey Casey Writer, age 41, Long Beach, MS. Arrested on April 17, 2008 on Felony False Pretense. Writer was booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Facility under a $20,000.00 bond. Writer is still in Harrison County Jail at this time. The investigation was worked by the State Auditor’s Office, The affidavit and warrant was obtained by the Attorney General’s Office for the Auditor’s Office, the arrest was made by investigators with both the Attorney General’s Office and the Auditor’s Office.

• Charles Edward Carter, age 41, of Gulfport. Arrested April 16, 2008 for Felony Home Repair Fraud. Bond was set at $20,000. Carter was booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, where he posted bond and was released.

• George Lee Bush, age 47, of Gulfport. Arrested April 16, 2008 for Felony Home Repair Fraud. Bond set at $20,000. Bush was booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, where he posted bond and was released.

• Michael Alvin Tinsley, age 36, of Gulfport. Arrested April 17, 2008 for Felony Home Repair Fraud. Tinsley was incarcerated in the Harrison County Adult Detention Center on unrelated charges and will be given a bond when released from his current incarceration.

• Joe T. Sells, age 45, living in Gulfport, after moving from Florida after Hurricane Katrina. Arrested April 17, 2008 on three counts of Felony Home Repair Fraud. Sells was booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Center. Sells posted his bond ($20,000 on one charge, $50,000 on one charge and $50,000 on one charge) and was released.

• Kenneth Hyson, age 49, of Biloxi. Arrested on April 17, 2008 on a charge of Misdemeanor Home Repair Fraud. Hyson was booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Center. His bond was set at $1,000. Hyson was released after posting his bond.

• Ellis L. Haskin, Jr., age 56, of Gulfport. Arrested on April 18, 2008 for Felony Home Repair Fraud. Haskin was booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Center and released on a $10,000 bond.

• Thomas Dale Reeder, age 45, of Wiggins. Arrested on April 19, 2008 by the Stone County Sheriff’s Office, at the request of the Attorney General’s Office. Reeder was transported by investigators with the Attorney General’s Office and taken to the Hancock County Booking Office on the charge of Felony Home Repair Fraud. Bond was set at $10,000.

“As long as there are victims of home repair fraud on our Coast, we will keep rounding the defendants up and prosecuting them,” said Hood. “These are just a few of those on our most wanted list. The days are numbered for those remain on the lam. I would like to say a special thanks to the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the State Auditor’s Office and the Stone County Sheriff’s Office for their work in some of these cases.”