'Prolific Scammer' In Elmhurst Attracts State's Attention

Elmhurst IL

18 February, 2021

2:37 PM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — The state's attorney general called an Elmhurst man a "prolific scammer" who has spent years on his schemes. On Thursday, the bond for Edmund Kavanaugh, 52, was set at $350,000 in Cook County Circuit Court, according to the attorney general's office. He is facing 21 felony counts of home repair fraud and six felony counts of theft. "Edmund Kavanaugh is a prolific scammer who has spent years adjusting and evolving his scams in order to continue defrauding victims out of thousands of dollars," Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release. "Individuals who scam unsuspecting consumers have no place in our communities..." According to the release, Kavanaugh owns and operates a home repair business called Goliath Construction. The attorney general said Kavanaugh's schemes involved him being hired for home repair jobs and collecting payment, but failing to finish agreed-upon work. Kavanaugh is also accused of using aliases and fake business names. The attorney general has worked with police departments from Western Springs, Arlington Heights, Berkeley, Hoffman Estates, Niles and Tinley Park, the release said. In 2018, the attorney general's office sued Kavanaugh for defrauding customers out of thousands of dollars by selling defective appliances, according to the news release. In 2006, the attorney general's office entered into a consent decree with Kavanaugh that prohibited him from various home repair conduct, the release said. Last June, Patch found many examples of a Facebook user operating under the name "Jessica Munoz" answering inquiries on suburban "Moms" Facebook pages for home repair services. The user recommended a number of businesses with the same phone number, which is Kavanaugh's. The business names included Edward Paint Pros, Deck Pros, Tile Guys, Kitchen Guy and Arana Construction. In interviews with Patch last summer, Kavanaugh said a Hinsdale couple's account of their dealings with him was full of lies, at one point calling the woman a slur typically used against females. He said he stopped doing agreed-upon work after the man emailed him that he was not allowed on their property. Kavanaugh promised to send that document to Patch, but did not. Kavanaugh also said he couldn't do the work because of the state's pandemic shutdown order, but that order never applied to construction.