A Breaux Bridge man pleaded guilty to contractor fraud this week, and was sentenced to 18 years in prison for scamming victims of Hurricane Ida.
Clarke Lee, 45, pleaded guilty to four counts of residential contractor fraud of more than $25,000 in Lafourche Parish on Wednesday, said District Attorney Kristine Russell.
Assistant District Attorney Greg Stahlnecker, who prosecuted the case, negotiated the plea agreement of 18 years per count to be served concurrent with the Louisiana Department of Corrections. The max sentence according to Louisiana law is 20 years.
After Hurricane Ida, Lee admitted he performed unlicensed contracting, incomplete and poor-quality work that resulted in hundreds of thousands in damages to the victims’ homes.
“He took something that is not easily replaced,” said ADA Stahlnecker. “A person’s home is their castle, and the defendant took advantage of the devastation left by Hurricane Ida to make money off the pain of others.”
In addition to his 18-year prison sentence, Lee is responsible to pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $711,000.
“I hope the families can get their homes restored to pre-Ida condition, and move on with their lives knowing the defendant will be in prison for what he did," Stahlnecker continued.
Officials say if you live in Lafourche Parish and would like to speak to someone about potential contractor fraud, you can call 985-447-2003 and ask to speak to Assistant District Attorney Greg Stahlnecker.
