Baton Rouge construction firm owner back in custody on fraud allegations – The Advocate

The owner of a Baton Rouge construction company accused committing post-flood contractor fraud in Ascension Parish was back in jail in East Baton Rouge Parish for allegedly ripping off a 67-year-old woman in a storm repair deal back in 2014.

Matthew Morris, who'd been released from jail in Ascension Parish on $635,000 bail on Feb. 10, was arrested at his home Tuesday morning by a team lead by State Police, said Sgt. L'Jean McKneely, a Baton Rouge police spokesman.

Morris, the owner of Complete Construction Contractors, is accused of defrauding more than a dozen Ascension Parish flood victims and is also wanted in at least eight additional cases in Livingston and St. John the Baptist parishes.

Morris maintained that he's "100 percent innocent of the charges against me" in a brief statement provided by his attorney after his release from Ascension jail earlier this month.

As Baton Rouge detectives led him past reporters to a waiting car for the ride to Parish Prison Tuesday morning, he silently hung his head, ignoring shouted questions.

The Baton Rouge arrest warrant alleges he defrauded a 67-year-old woman who paid him more than $100,000 to repair storm damage to her Chandler Drive home.Morris installed six windows, patched a hole in the woman's roof with black felt and never returned, the warrant says.

The victim told police she hired an attorney to intervene but that he refused complete the work or honor the contract.

Baton Rouge police booked Morris Tuesday morning on counts ofcounts of home improvement fraud, felony theft, theft of assets of an aged person and exploitation of the infirm.

Morris remained there Tuesday evening, with his bail set at $100,000.

Authorities in other jurisdictions continue to investigate complaints about Morris and his company, which Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeff Wiley used a complicated contract to rack up thousands of dollars in claims assistance fees, grossly over-billed or billed people for work that had not been done, and collected residents insurance payments with inflated or fraudulent bills.

Lori Steele, Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office spokeswoman, said deputies have obtained warrants for Morris in seven cases and are investigating more.

"That's just the beginning," Steele told The Advocate on Monday.

The owner of a Baton Rouge construction company accused of committing post-flood contractor

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A Baton Rouge builder accused of committing contractor fraud against Ascension Parish flood

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Update: 3:25 p.m.: A state district judge set bail Thursday for a Baton Rouge man arrested

Follow Bryn Stole on Twitter, @BrynStole.

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Baton Rouge construction firm owner back in custody on fraud allegations - The Advocate