Crime & Safety

Philly Residents Charged in Roofing Scam

Abington Police arrested the defendants; the alleged thefts happened in Montgomery, Philadelphia, Berks and Northampton counties.

Written by Mischa Arnosky

Abington Police arrested three Philadelphia residents for their alleged role in a roofing scam that bilked several homeowners out of a total of $25,000.

Erick Mitchell, 26; Michael Mitchell, 36; and Lola Angie Stanton, 38, were all arrested July 30. According to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office, the defendants stole money by taking deposits from several homeowners and never returning to do the work.

According to the DA, Michael Mitchell would introduce himself to the complainants as “Thomas Taylor,” and would say that he worked for a company called Central Roofing. In all of the alleged thefts, “Taylor” would sign a contract with the homeowners to repair their roofs and take checks ranging up to $10,000. Erick Mitchell also took a cash deposit under the same circumstances, the DA said; no one from Central Roofing ever returned to the homes.

In addition to Central Roofing, the DA said the defendants advertised and filed certificates of trade names with the Camden County Clerks Office for the following companies:

  • Central NJ Roofing
  • Allied Roofing
  • All Weather Roofing
  • Greater Northeast Roofing.
All of the businesses were non-existent, according to the DA.

An investigation revealed that the checks were cashed at a check-cashing agency in Wilmington, Del. by each of the defendants, according to police.

Each of the defendants was charged with felony theft, home improvement fraud, deceptive business practices and conspiracy. Each defendant is being held on $250,000 cash bail.

None of the defendants appears to have a criminal history.

A preliminary hearing for each defendant is scheduled for Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. in front of District Justice Juanita Price.

If you believe you are a victim of Michael Mitchell, Erick Mitchell or Lola Stanton for a similar scheme, the DA asks that you contact Abington Police Sgt. Gregory Urban at 267-536-1100.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.