x
Breaking News
More () »

Wayne County Couple Charged With Scamming Senior Citizens

WAYNE COUNTY — David and Betty Jane Borsdam face theft, home improvement fraud and other charges. State police say the Honesdale couple used their busines...

WAYNE COUNTY -- David and Betty Jane Borsdam face theft, home improvement fraud and other charges. State police say the Honesdale couple used their business, Borsdam's Incorporated, to swindle senior citizens.

Investigators say the husband and wife overcharged and performed unnecessary electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling work. Then, they would cash checks for themselves.

"I think he's a crook, a robber, all he did was steal from senior citizens, that's it,” said Richard Garrity of Honesdale.

Garrity is in his 80s and says he was scammed by the Borsdams. He says they tried to charge him $20,000 for what started as work on a leaking toilet at his home in Honesdale.

Garrity wants the Borsdams to pay for what they've done. "Get fined and put in jail, as far as I'm concerned, but of course, that's my matter of opinion."

In nearby Texas Township, Joan Gay, 81, says the Borsdams did a lot of work including plowing snow from her home.

State police say Gay ended up paying the Borsdams more than $83,000 from November of 2014 to September of 2015.

“They plowed my driveway. They shoveled off the roof. They maintained the heating system and the air conditioning unit. You know the whole works. So, you do the things you seem obligated to do," added Gay.

Investigators charged the Borsdams with defrauding another victim, a man in his 90s in Honesdale. That man has since moved to a nursing home.

According to court papers, the Borsdams collected about $50,000 from him for work and cashed more than $18,000 of that amount for themselves.

“I know they took advantage of a lot of people, but if they said, well you owe this much for this because we mow the lawn, we plow your driveway or whatever. You trusted them because they were the people that were available, and you trusted them,” said Gay.

David Borsdam did not want to comment on the charges he is facing.

Before You Leave, Check This Out