READINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (Hunterdon County) – Two people have been charged in an alleged roofing scam in Hunterdon County.
On Monday, Sept. 16, the Readington Township Police Department’s Detective Bureau became aware of a potential scam involving Irish nationals posing as credentialed roofing contractors.
An investigation was initiated, and it was determined that in March 2024, Ashley Reilly presented himself as the owner of Fitzpatrick Construction of Bound Brook, NJ, while Patrick Ward, who used the pseudonym “Jack,” claimed to be the foreman, police said.
It is alleged that they contracted with the homeowner to perform roofing and gutter repairs for a price that substantially exceeded what a licensed contractor would have charged for the same work. They periodically pressured the homeowner for additional money to cover costs for unexpected issues that arose during the repairs and ignored requests seeking to remedy the problems, police said.
After the work was completed, the homeowners were left with issues related to poor workmanship and additional expenses, police said.
Reilly and Ward were each charged with theft by deception, failure to register with consumer affairs, failure to file insurance with consumer affairs, and failure to register as contractors.
Authorities believe this may not be an isolated incident, as multiple reports of similar scams have surfaced in Readington Township. Anyone who may have encountered similar experiences or who has information related to this case to contact Detective Sergeant Jason Phares at 908-534-4031.
