Police suspect man of scamming elderly Spokane residents in charade as contractor
Spokane police suspect a man of defrauding elderly local residents by claiming to be a contractor, damaging their homes and requesting additional money to finish jobs.
Officers from SPD’s Patrol Anti-Crime Team (PACT) booked Perceleono “Percy” Lopez, 40, for several felony charges Friday after an investigation led them to believe he was targeting elderly citizens in Spokane and damaged at least three homes while doing work he was not licensed to do, according to a Spokane Police Department news release.
One historically registered home had $15,000 worth of damage after his work on it.
The investigation started after officers learned Lopez had approached three elderly citizens in the Spokane area offering his painting services.
A check of Lopez showed he’d been cited twice in 2019 by the Department of Labor and Industries for failing to register as a contractor, the release said.
In several instances, Lopez allegedly started work on homes and then asked for more money to continue the job.
In total, his suspected thefts add up to approximately $8,500, but officers said they are concerned there are more victims, the release said.
Just after 2:30 p.m. Friday, PACT Officers came to a residence in the 5100 block of North Howard Street with probable cause to arrest Lopez on suspicion of failing to register as a contractor, which is a gross misdemeanor, and first-degree theft by deception, a felony, the release said.
After taking him into custody, officers said they found he was in possession of methamphetamine and heroin, and recommended two counts of felony possession of a controlled substance.
Lopez operated using the name Percy Lopez with a company name of “Percy’s Painting,” which was advertised on Craigslist, LinkedIn, and HireRush. People who are concerned they are being scammed can check for a contractor’s license on the Washington Department of Labor website, the release said.
Police are asking anyone who believes they were victims of Lopez to email Officer Stephanie Kennedy at skennedy@spokanepolice.org or call Crime Check at 509-456-2233 and reference incident #2020-20182496.