Seattle — Two brothers, Patrick and Matthew McDonagh, were sentenced to 18 months in prison last month for defrauding elderly homeowners by pretending to be home repair contractors.
The brothers were arrested in June and charged in July. They pleaded guilty in September to charges related to wire fraud. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, they may be deported after serving their sentence. One of them is also facing fraud charges in Ireland.
Tessa Gorman, the U.S. Attorney, said the brothers took advantage of elderly people by tricking them into paying for urgent repairs that weren’t needed. In Washington State, seniors were defrauded of $88 million last year alone.
Court records show that the McDonaghs were part of a group that traveled the country, targeting elderly homeowners with lies about urgent repairs. One victim in Shoreline lost $435,000. In January, the brothers approached an elderly homeowner, claiming there was a hole in the roof.
They offered to fix it and remove moss. Over the next few days, they convinced the homeowner to pay them $15,000, $20,000, and $26,000 for repairs, including foundation work that was never needed. They even pretended to do work, digging trenches and pouring concrete to make it seem like repairs were happening. At one point, they demanded an extra $20,000 for “taxes.”
The brothers also made the victim wire $200,000 to a third party for supplies, though some of the money was later recovered. FBI investigations connected the McDonaghs to similar scams in Oregon and Illinois.
In Oregon, Patrick McDonagh took nearly $29,000 for unfinished foundation work. In Illinois, Matthew McDonagh took $75,000 for driveway and retaining wall work that was poorly done and caused damage to the victim’s house.
The brothers agreed to repay the victims, including $235,000 to the Shoreline victim, over $673,000 to a Bellevue victim, $75,000 to a victim in Illinois, and about $50,000 to three victims in Oregon.
The FBI warned about warning signs of contractor fraud, including:
- Contractors knocking on doors and using aggressive sales tactics.
- Pressuring you to hire them immediately.
- Only accepting cash and demanding full payment upfront.
- Claiming they have leftover materials from previous jobs.
Authorities recommend getting multiple estimates and making sure contractors are licensed and insured. You can check contractors through the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries website or the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission for complaints.