BY RAY SCHAEFER
Enquirer Contributor
COVINGTON -- Two men charged with cheating Tristate homeowners and businesses said Wednesday they were victims of bad weather and unreliable subcontractors.
Rance N. Johnson, 35, and Jack M. Trump, 36, both of Sharonville, are charged with two counts of felony theft by unlawful taking over $300. Both appeared Wednesday before Kenton District Judge William Schmaedecke, who then sent the cases to a grand jury.
Mr. Trump turned himself in to authorities Wednesday. Both men are free on $5,000 bond.
While still in the courtroom, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Trump were served with a summons on a separate civil complaint.
"I'm not guilty of scamming anybody," Mr. Trump said. "My life has been pure hell the last nine months, and I don't deserve it."
If convicted of the felonies, they face between one and five years in prison and fines of $1,000 to $10,000 per charge.
Mr. Johnson said he intends to pay back what he owes.
"The greater part of it was the weather," Mr. Johnson said after the appearance. "I had perfect credit a year ago. I'm now in debt $40,000, $50,000, maybe more. My personal credit's shot." Dennis Alerding, a Covington attorney representing both men, said his clients simply ran out of money and are trying to repay their customers.
"This is not a criminal case," Mr. Alerding said. "This is a civil case where the businesses ran out of money, and it could not continue as a business."
According to a six-month Kenton County Police Department investigation, 30 to 40 homeowners and businesses in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Northern Kentucky and Hamilton County in Ohio were cheated out of home improvements.
Kenton County Police Detective Matthew Rolfsen said Tuesday that Mr. Johnson and Mr. Trump operated a number of different construction - remodeling firms, many of which appeared to be phony fronts, most of them listed in telephone directories.
Mr. Johnson said he generated work orders, but he said frequent rains forced delays and subcontractors who were supposed to do the work often didn't. He said all the listings were legitimate. One of the businesses was similar in name to a legitimate Tristate company whose owner emphasized that customers would find it properly licensed by home builders' associations.
"These were new businesses," Mr. Johnson said. "We were trying to pay start-up costs, paying last month's (expenses) with this month's money."
Two victims, Kent and Emma Kramer of Kenton County, said they paid $5,000 to Mr. Johnson last October for a garage that was never built. Mr. Alerding and Mr. Johnson said they tried to work out a two-year repayment plan totaling $6,000 to $7,000 but were prohibited from contacting the Kramers after charges were filed.
Mr. Trump said he shouldn't be charged in the Kramer case because he has never met the Kramers. Mr. Johnson said he doesn't want to file bankruptcy to avoid debts the businesses incurred.
"It may take 20 years, but my intent is to pay these people back," Mr. Johnson said. "
