MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced that a former Wantagh resident who lives in Pennsylvania was ordered as part of his plea today to make full restitution to the Nassau County homeowners he scammed by charging them for air conditioning repairs that never took place.
Charles Ganzenmuller, 38, pleaded guilty today to Scheme to Defraud in the 1st Degree (an E felony), and Operating a Home Improvement Business without a License (an A misdemeanor) before Acting County Court Judge Scott Fairgrieve. If he makes full restitution of $15,200 to his victims by the date of sentence, he will be sentenced under the misdemeanor count to a conditional discharge. He is due back in court for sentencing on Oct. 10.
“The vast majority of home improvement contractors do their work diligently and honestly every day, but this defendant failed to deliver on his promises to his customers,” DA Rice said. “Working in partnership with the Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs, we will continue our efforts to protect homeowners from fraud and uphold the reputation of hardworking home improvement professionals.”
DA Rice said that Ganzenmuller solicited and entered into home improvement contracts with multiple Nassau County homeowners between Jan. 4, 2012 and May 25, 2012. When entering into the contracts, Ganzenmuller claimed he owned two companies named “Assured Air Conditioning” and “Alliance Air Conditioning.”
On January 4, 2012, Ganzenmuller, doing business as “Allied Air Conditioning,” entered into a contract with a Massapequa Park homeowner, to furnish and install a new boiler. Ganzenmuller was paid $2,000 as a down payment, but performed no work on the contract.
On May 25, 2012 Ganzenmuller, doing business as “Assured Air Conditioning,” entered into a contract with an East Rockaway homeowner. Ganzenmuller was paid $5,400 as a down payment on the contract to provide indoor and outdoor cooling units, and other work. After receiving the money, Ganzenmuller did no work, and provided no materials.
According to the Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs, neither Ganzenmuller nor his companies had a valid Nassau County Home Improvement license at the time he entered into the contracts. Each victim filed a complaint to DCA, which referred the cases to DA Rice’s office for further investigation. When the case was referred to DA Rice’s office, Ganzenmuller’s companies were no longer in business. He has since been working as an employee of a construction company in Pennsylvania.
Assistant District Attorney Edward Bradley of DA Rice’s Government and Consumer Frauds Bureau is prosecuting the case. Ganzenmuller is represented by Glenn Ingoglia, Esq.
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