Seniors react following arrest of contractor known as "Ripoff Rob"
FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) - After countless complaints about a contractor, a group of senior citizens feel hopeful their efforts to fight the system will lead to justice.
ABC 12 started investigating Robert Earl Gill in September after Carolyn Mayo came forward. The elderly Mt. Morris Township woman hired Gill to replace her roof but after starting the job, Mayo says he disappeared. After ABC 12 aired the story, Gill returned Mayo’s money but many others say he still owes them. The victims joined together, and pushed for criminal charges, even meeting with the Genesee County prosecutor.
“You think you are taking advantage of seniors? Don’t mess with us,” said Mayo. “We will take and pray it up, and that is what happened. He is getting what he deserves, and I don’t have any sympathy for him, none at all.” Mayo says she’s proud of how the senior citizens rallied together to fight for justice.
How seniors got justice after they say contractor scammed them
Investigating cases like the one involving Gill can be time consuming because the victims are often in multiple jurisdictions. And police say, Gill seemed to know how to work the system to avoid criminal charges. “What he’s trying to do is get a down payments, do part of the work and never show back up because he can prove he did do some of the work so a prosecutor doesn’t charge him,” said Captain Jason Murphy with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department.
What helped aw enforcement build a criminal case against Gill, they victims themselves. They got a contract, kept their text messages and filed police reports. The information proved to be valuable evidence to present to the prosecutor. And the victims joined together to push law enforcement to investigate Gill further. “They stayed strong, kept contacting us and pushing forward to have it happened,” said Capt. Murphy.
Others who feel like they were victimized are being encouraged to come forward, file a report with their local law enforcement agency.
Or contact the Genesee County Sheriff Department’s elder abuse hotline at 810-257-3422
