AURORA | A husband-and-wife duo has been indicted on charges of racketeering, theft and other crimes for their role in a tree-trimming scam targeting older adults, according to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.
Joseph Camillo Tyler and Amelia Marie Tyler are accused of conning Coloradans as old as 95 out of more than $40,000 over a period starting in February 2020 and ending in October 2022. They were arrested by Arvada police.
“These types of predatory actions against some of the most vulnerable members of our communities will not be tolerated,” Arvada Police Department chief Ed Brady said in a news release Wednesday. “To steal from people who have saved a lifetime to live out their golden years is appalling.”
The two would reportedly show up at the home of a victim, offer to perform tree-trimming work, receive payment for the work and then leave before the job was finished, often saying they needed to get something to finish the job, though they would never return.
In one case, a 70-plus-year-old Aurora woman was approached by the couple and two boys, who she paid $825 to remove dead tree branches and cut down two dead trees at her home, according to the grand jury indictment filed Feb. 2. After working for around 20 minutes, one of the boys said their chainsaw had broken, and the group fled.
At least 50 people residing in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, El Paso, Jefferson and Otero counties are believed to have been scammed by the couple.
The Tylers are currently in the custody of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, held on suspicion of two counts of violating Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act, a class 2 felony, as well as felony counts of theft, conspiracy to commit theft, aggravated motor vehicle theft and criminal exploitation of an at-risk person.
“Working in partnership with the hardworking team at the Arvada Police Department, we were able to stop this widespread organized tree-trimming fraud,” Weiser said in the same news release. “Our office remains committed to ensuring that individuals who commit financial crimes against older Coloradans are held fully responsible for their actions.”
The agency encouraged Coloradans to visit www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/elderwatch/ for information on how to recognize and report fraud and scams. Fraud and scams may also be reported by calling 1-800-222-4444 or by filing a complaint at www.StopFraudColorado.gov.
Why not do the work and earn the money?
Appears thathe Tylers could have made a good business instead of making themselves criminals.