Contractor gets 28 years in jail

Terrebonne Parish District Attorney Joe Waitz announced last Monday that a local contractor would spend the next 28 years in jail.

James Joseph LeBoeuf, 29, pled guilty last week to five counts of felony theft and three counts of home improvement fraud after he took part in a series of home repair frauds.

He received his sentence from Judge Randy Bethancourt, pursuant to a plea agreement reached between the defense and the district attorney’s office.

According to a release issued by Waitz’s office, LeBoeuf would agree to do home repairs for his victims, mostly involving raising their homes to proper elevations to meet FEMA standards. The release states all of the victims had received Road Home monies to pay for the repairs, and had come to LeBoeuf through recommendation from friends.

But work on the locations would never get done, even after the payments would take place.

To deceive the victims, LeBoeuf and his family would frequently visit the locations, sometimes even with his wife and children, and an investigation yielded he even duped a widow by using Bible passages to ease her concerns.

Following LeBoeuf’s sentence and in conjunction with hurricane season, the district attorney also issued a warning to prospective contractors to understand that the DA’s office will not take fraudulent activity by contractors lightly.

Waitz said victims of any hurricane damage the area may receive this season are encouraged to “make sure that the contractor who agrees to perform necessary repairs [are] licensed, insured and of reputable character.”

The district attorney also warned citizens of any contractors who request significant funding up front for jobs, because most reputable contractors in the area have accounts at several local home improvement retailers in the area.