Sullivan Co. Sheriff’s Office: Duo targeted elderly woman in contractor fraud

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Authorities in Sullivan County are asking for the public’s help regarding alleged contractor fraud.

The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) stated on Wednesday it’s investigating an incident involving contractor fraud in the Colonial Heights area.

The white male wearing a green shirt in the pictures below reportedly collected payment for work. The Black man, identified by police as Michael Todd Harris, is pictured cashing the check.

SCSO Detective Anthony Stevens told News Channel 11 that the contractors defrauded an elderly victim with dementia.

“The victim is an elderly female who has dementia, and the gentleman, I believe, was able to come to some relation with her to make her comfortable,” Stevens said. “And she allowed him in the house and even allowed him to write the check out himself.”

The contractors allegedly agreed to do work on the victim’s small driveway for $2,900.

“He will kind of halfway do the work,” Stevens said. “The work isn’t complete all the way. There’ll be some spots within the driveway or he will miss spots in the driveway, and then he’ll collect the money and just leave.”

According to Stevens, the white man has not been identified as of Wednesday afternoon.

“We are aware of one; the Black male is going to be Michael Harris. We’ve identified him, but we’ve not identified the white male. But we cannot locate any information of where the Black male is living at in Sullivan County. He’s from Georgia.”

Stevens warned anyone from accepting offered services from anyone unfamiliar.

“Just be aware, if someone comes knocking on your door to offer any type of services, just make sure that you’re 100% sure that this is legit,” Stevens said. “We’re having a lot of issues with scams and frauds in our county. People come in trying to offer to do contractor services that may not be legit. If you have any questions, you can always contact the sheriff’s office.”

Anyone with information on the two is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 423-279-7506.

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