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Matthew Morris says through attorney liens will be dropped

6 years 11 months 2 weeks ago Friday, April 14 2017 Apr 14, 2017 April 14, 2017 11:55 AM April 14, 2017 in Crime
Source: WBRZ

UPDATE: Matthew Morris was booked on four counts of residential contract fraud, two counts of theft and one count of insurance fraud Thursday.

Morris' lawyer released this statement Friday:

"Mr. Morris is innocent of the criminal charges against him. This is a civil matter, not a criminal one, and many of the complaining witnesses are actively involved in civil litigation with Complete Construction Contractors. Unfortunately, the criminal charges will delay the resolution of the civil matters. Mr. Morris has agreed to remove all civil liens as a sign of good faith, but law enforcement has not responded to this offer. Mr. Morris is currently being held without bond In Ascension, and is being bounced parish to parish to be denied fair bail."

Original story: 

BATON ROUGE – Contractor Matthew Morris will be booked with more charges Thursday, this time in East Baton Rouge Parish.

According to arrest warrants, Morris is accused of residential contractor fraud, engaging in business of contracting without authority, and theft of assets from aged or disabled persons.

Documents say an 82-year-old victim entered into a contract with Morris’ company, Complete Construction Contractors LLC on Aug. 21, 2016 to repair a flood-damaged home. At the time the victim paid $1,250 to begin work.

The victim told investigators that he paid Morris $30,000 over the course of a month. During the investigation, deputies learned that Morris did not possess a remediation license while he was administering chemical agents.

Documents say Morris also caused severe damage to load-bearing beams while bringing equipment into the home. He also removed a fireplace, leaving a large hole in the ceiling that caused more water and mold damage.

The victim said Morris requested additional money to repair the unnecessary damages. When the victim refused to pay, Morris placed a lien on the home.

Documents say a second victim also entered into a contract with Morris after the flooding for demolition work. The victim said got into a disagreement with Morris about overbilling and billing for work that was not done. The victim said Morris terminated the contract and requested a final payment of $52,564.13. Whent he victim refused to pay, Morris placed a lien on her property.

The new charges in East Baton Rouge Parish come just days after grand juries in both Livingston and Ascension Parish indicted Morris on dozens of charges related to contractor fraud.

 

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