JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One month after the I-TEAM first reported a Jacksonville roofer's arrest on felony insurance fraud, forgery and grand theft charges involving multiple customers, News4Jax gave Kinnecorps owner Roger Van Den Bosch another chance to have his say -- but he stayed silent.
Van Den Bosch was arrested Dec. 17. Investigators with Florida's Department of Financial Services told the I-TEAM they found the roofer defrauded customers by requesting they sign an assignment of benefits, known as AOB, which allowed his company to accept payment from the insurance company doing the repairs, defrauding clients out of $50,398.
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State investigators said, "Once the payments were received and checks cashed, neither Roger Van Den Bosch nor his employees at Kinnecorps performed the contracted work. Roger Van Den Bosch also forged the signatures of his clients on insurance checks and pocketed advanced payments."
During a court hearing Thursday morning on those felony charges -- which also included a previous charge involving failure to have workers' compensation coverage -- Van Den Bosch entered a not guilty plea.
An agreement was also reached for partial restitution for four victims named in the charges against the roofer. According to the order, Van Den Bosch owed $1,375 to each of those four victims. Court records show the restitution was paid on Jan. 22.
As the hearing ended, the next court date was scheduled for Feb. 12, and then Van Den Bosch smiled as he walked out of the courtroom.
Van Den Bosch has been free on bond and left the courthouse with his attorney, Gregory N. Greenberg. Outside, I-TEAM investigator Tarik Minor tried to speak with both of them about the charges against Van Den Bosch.
WATCH: I-TEAM tries to speak with Roger Van Den Bosch
Tarik Minor: Mr. Van Den Bosch, there are a couple of your customers who say that you took their deposits and then never did their roofing work. Do you have anything to say to those customers?
Gregory Greenberg: We have no comment, thanks.
Minor: You are also accused of getting people to sign the assignment of benefits and then putting liens on their house and then taking their money, even elderly people. How do you feel about that?
(No answer)
Minor: You're also under investigation by the state of Florida. Do you have anything to say about that?
(No answer)
Minor: Do you feel bad taking money from people and not doing the work? I mean there's almost a dozen customers who say you have done nothing but take their money.
Greenberg: We have no comment, thank you.
Minor: Do you plan on giving their money back?
(No answer)
Minor: Do you plan on giving them their money back, Mr. Van Den Bosch?
(No answer)
Minor: Is this the way that you make a living or do you do work?
Greenberg: Excuse me sir.
Minor: This is a public street, you know the law.
Minor: Mr. Van Den Bosch, do you have any comment?
(No answer)
Department of Financial Services investigators say if Van Den Bosch is convicted on his five felony charges, which include fraud, forgery and grand theft, he faces up to 85 years in prison.
In the meantime, the Florida Attorney General's Office tells the I-TEAM it does have an active Consumer Protection Investigation involving Kinnecorps, but cannot comment further at this time. And, Van Den Bosch's city of Jacksonville construction licenses have been suspended.
If you have a complaint against Roger Van Den Bosch or Kinnecorps, you can file that complaint with the following agencies:
- Florida Department of Financial Services: Call 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236) and ask to file a complaint
- Florida Office of the Attorney General: File online
- Better Business Bureau: File online