Lewes contractor pleads guilty to home improvement fraud

A Lewes contractor will serve 90 days in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of home improvement fraud June 5.

Sergio Izzo, 33, also pleaded guilty to charges of theft of services greater than $1,500, issuing a bad check greater than $1,500, two counts of theft of more than $1,500 from a senior, forgery and unauthorized use of a credit card.

Department of Justice spokesman Carl Kanefsky said following his jail sentence, Izzo will have one year of work release and a year of GPS-monitored probation. Kanefsky said Izzo must also pay restitution to at least 15 victims in excess of $40,000 and can no longer work or advertise himself for any type of commercial or construction services, including home improvement services.

The department’s Consumer Protection Unit began investigating Izzo in summer 2018 after receiving claims that Izzo, doing business as Izzo and Son Turf Company in Long Neck, accepted payment for home improvement work but did not complete the work or refund money to homeowners.

Izzo was charged by the Department of Justice with four counts of theft, two counts of issuing a bad check, two counts of home improvement fraud, two counts of unlawful use of a payment card, two counts of second-degree forgery, two counts of criminal impersonation and one count of providing false statements to hinder an investigation. He failed to appear at several court appearances before reaching a plea deal.