BY RAY SCHAEFER
Enquirer Contributor
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Kent and Emma Kramer lost $5,000 trying to get a new garage built. Eventually, another company built the garage.
(Ernest Coleman photo)
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Kent and Emma Kramer of Kenton County wanted a garage built before last winter.
The couple found a company in the phone book, received a $10,500 estimate and wrote a check for $5,000. But they never got their garage. Authorities say the Kramers are among 30 to 40 victims cheated out of home improvements in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Northern Kentucky and in Hamilton County.
After a six-month investigation by Kenton County Police, Rance N. Johnson, 35, of Sharonville and Jack M. Trump, 36, of Camp Springs, Ky., have been charged with two counts of felony theft by unlawful taking over $300.
Kenton County Police Detective Matthew Rolfsen said Tuesday the two men, who worked together and independently, operated a number of different construction - remodeling firms, many of which appear to be phony fronts. Most of them are listed in telephone directories. Mrs. Kramer said the incident hurts nearly as much now as when it happened last fall.
"I felt invaded," she said. "How could they take people like that?"
Mr. Johnson, who is free on $2,500 bond, is scheduled to appear at 1:30 p.m. today in Kenton District Court in Covington. Mr. Trump, who Mr. Rolfsen said also goes by the name Jack Husman, is still at large. If convicted, they face between one and five years in prison and fines between $1,000 and $10,000 per charge.
Mr. Rolfsen did not know the exact dollar figures lost in the alleged scheme, which occurred last year, but he said it's in the tens of thousands.
"It's one of the larger scams I've worked," he said. "(Mr. Johnson and Mr. Trump) preyed on people's kindness and belief that everybody is kind and decent."
Another company is now building the Kramers' garage at their home near Crittenden.
But last October, they wondered whether it would ever be done. The Kramers called several companies before calling Champion Garages, one of 10 firms Kenton County police are investigating. After they paid $5,000 upfront, against a $10,500 estimate, there was nothing but trouble. And work never began.
"My husband said, "We want the garage done before winter,' " Mrs. Kramer said. "(But Mr. Johnson) had excuses, excuses, excuses."
Mr. Rolfsen said businesses were victimized as well as homeowners in four different scenarios:
A contract would be signed, but no work would be performed.
A project would be partially completed.
Work would be completed, but materials were not paid for by the contractors, which meant suppliers could attach liens to the property.
Work was done so poorly, the property owner had to pay to fix resulting problems.
Mr. Rolfsen said police at first thought the complaints were individual civil matters, but they soon saw a pattern. "If we can show deception and a continuous course of conduct by the suspects involved to deceive people, then we can prosecute on additional counts," he said.
The suspects were indicted on similar charges in December in Campbell County. Fort Thomas Police Detective Foy Razor said in a January report to the commonwealth attorney's office that individuals and businesses were bilked of more than $43,000.
Mrs. Kramer said her faith in God remained strong throughout the ordeal, but her faith in man has been shaken.
"You don't know who's honest and who's not," she said. "We trusted other people. We didn't dream something like this would happen to us."
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