Man pleads guilty to cheating Du Quoin woman out of $6,800

A Dix, Ill. man has pleaded guilty to cheating an 83-year-old Du Quoin woman out of $6,800 in a home repair fraud that involved sealing her driveway, trimming trees and spraying insecticide.

The man is identified as Herbert Ashby and he was charged with a Class 4 felony. Here's the reason: It becomes a felony if the contractor charges four times more than the accepted charges for the same work.

"In this case, it was probably six times more," said Perry County State's Attorney David Stanton.

The victim was Earlene Bullock of 204 Dodge Lane in Du Quoin.

The alleged fraud was brought to the state's attorney's attention by the Du Quoin Police Department.

Ashby was fined $500, to be paid to the court at a rate of $50 a month starting in June. He was ordered to make restitution to Bullock in the amount of $6,800. He was sentenced to the four days of time served in the Perry County Jail.

The man was ordered to have no future contact with the victim or her family.

He was ordered to not perform work within the geographical limits of Perry County

The order was signed by the honorable Judge James Campanella.

It is the start of the home repair season. Know your contractor. Get references. Get a signed agreement that spells out the work to be performed and the price.