PALM COAST, Fla. — A Tampa man is accused of taking $4,000 from an 88-year-old Palm Coast woman while working for an unlicensed air-duct company, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies arrested 32-year-old Amjad Otor on charges of organized scheme to defraud and theft from a person 65 or older.
The sheriff’s office is reminding homeowners to confirm contractors’ credentials through the state’s online license-search tool before agreeing to any work.
Investigators said the woman contacted Universal Air Duct Cleaning LLC in February to clean the ductwork in her home.
According to an arrest affidavit, two men arrived in an unmarked Chevrolet pickup truck and partially cleaned the system. They charged the woman $500 before telling her that damaged ductwork needed to be replaced.
The men offered to complete the additional work for $5,000 and requested a partial cash payment, deputies said.
Investigators said Otor took $1,000 in cash, showed the woman a piece of new ductwork and later told her the replacement work had been completed. The woman then provided two checks totaling $3,000.
The affidavit said $500 of the cash payment was for the original cleaning, while the remaining $3,500 was intended for the promised duct replacement.
The woman became suspicious and asked her handyman to inspect the work. Deputies said the handyman found that the damaged ductwork remained in place and the insulation in the attic had not been disturbed.
A certified inspector later confirmed that the ducts had not been replaced, according to investigators.
The woman contacted the company and asked for the work to be completed, but deputies said her calls were no longer answered.
Detectives determined Otor’s truck was at the woman’s home for less than 90 minutes. The woman later identified him in a photo lineup as the man who accepted her payments.
Investigators said Otor allegedly used a false name while communicating with the woman.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation told detectives that Universal Air Duct Cleaning was no longer operating and was not a legitimate licensed company, according to the affidavit.
The company had an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau and multiple complaints involving incomplete work, deputies said.
The company’s owner, identified as 25-year-old Tomer Nahmani of Altamonte Springs, was not licensed to perform or subcontract the work, according to investigators.
Otor was arrested with assistance from Fort Lauderdale police and later released from the Broward County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
The investigation remains active, and additional charges are pending.
Anyone who paid Otor, Nahmani or Universal Air Duct Cleaning for work that was not completed is asked to call the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911.
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