MORGANTOWN — Door-to-door solicitations involving leftover concrete or asphalt are almost always scams and cause for skepticism.
That’s according to Deputy Chief P.J. Scott of the Morgantown Police Department, which received three reports of an individual soliciting just such services on Monday.
Two South Park residents approached by that individual — a man claiming to be from the Morgantown Utility Board — agreed to speak to The Dominion Post on the condition they not be named. One cited a fear of retaliation.
One woman said a “really tall” man wearing an orange vest knocked on her door Monday morning and said he was working on a project with MUB on a nearby street. There was leftover concrete from that project and he offered to resurface her driveway for $4 a square foot. Her driveway did indeed need work so she asked for an estimate and said she would think about it.
“Everything happened so fast,” she said. “Next thing I knew he and his partner were paving our driveway. We were like ‘Um ok, I guess we’re doing this huh?’ ”
After some work was completed, the woman was charged $650 instead of the quoted $400, and when she paid by check, the man got angry and demanded cash, which she went to the bank and got, she said.
The woman later looked up the man, who gave his name as Saul Williams, online and found an article in 2015 indicating he was a fugitive. Williams is also a registered sex offender, according to the West Virginia State Police.
Scott said Williams is no longer wanted by law enforcement.
The second woman who spoke with The Dominion Post shared a similar story about Williams approaching her about work on her driveway using leftover concrete from a MUB job. She said she paid by check and canceled the check before it was cashed. She said a contractor in the neighborhood told her the job was “not a resurfacing.”
MUB issued a warning and clarification on its on social media following reports of the scammer.
“MUB does not sell leftover material,” Director of Communications Chris Dale said. “We certainly do not sell material door-to-door. If approached by a person claiming to be a MUB employee, you may ask for identification, which all MUB staff are issued and required to carry. You may also call 304-292-8443 if you have questions or need water or sewer assistance 24/7.”
The second woman was provided a handwritten invoice with “Tri State Contracting” written across the top. The phone number provided does not return to any registered businesses.
The Dominion Post called the number and spoke with a man who identified himself as Tommy in an attempt to determine if Williams was a legitimate employee of that company. However, when the call was returned, the caller ID identified it as belonging to Saul Hicks, which is Williams’ middle name. The caller acted confused and asked The Dominion Post to explain the situation multiple times. He said he would ask “the office” whether Williams worked there but did not call back with an answer.
On the sex offender resgistry, Williams’ address is listed as Inwood, which is close to Martinsburg.
The MPD has not located Williams. Scott said what he did was likely illegal, but “several factors would have to be considered in order to determine the appropriate charge(s).”
“Before agreeing to having any work done, a homeowner should always try and verify the legitimacy of the contractor, obtain references, and get all work contracts in writing before proceeding with any financial commitment,” Scott said. “We advise that if anyone is approached by a person soliciting potentially fraudulent work, they should contact the Morgantown Police Department’s TIPS Line to make an anonymous tip at 304-284-7520.”
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