BATON ROUGE (WBRZ) – 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.