3 Charged in Roof-Coating Scheme

Three men were charged with 18 felonies, including robbery, burglary and grand theft, in connection with a home-repair scam that bilked mostly seniors, authorities said Saturday.

Two of the suspects, James Monroe, 46, of Lakewood, and Bill Thompson, 36, of Norwalk, were fugitives and being sought on warrants, Sheriff’s Deputy Pat Hunter said. The third suspect, Bob Tillis, 32, of Norwalk, faces arraignment May 24, Hunter said.

The three “allegedly duped several elderly homeowners into paying up to $7,500 for having their roofs sprayed with a substance that the suspects claimed would seal the roofs against the elements for up to 20 years,” Hunter said. The roof treatment, a concoction of gasoline, aluminum paint and a sticky tar-like material, “is useless as a sealant and is equivalent of painting the roof with a thin coating of aluminum paint,” Hunter said.

When they were arrested the men had $4,000 in cash, stolen property and false certificates guaranteeing their roofing jobs, authorities said.