Woman Sentenced in Security Alarm Scam

A saleswoman with a Sherman Oaks company who allegedly cheated senior citizens by selling them overpriced or unnecessary home-alarm systems was sentenced Tuesday to 300 hours of community service and ordered to pay restitution to the victims, the city attorney’s office said.

Katrina Carmel Jackman, 37, of Glendale, who pleaded no contest to two counts of illegally displaying an alarm company license in February, was ordered to pay about $3,000 in investigative costs to the California Department of Consumer Affairs by Superior Court Commissioner Kristi Lousteau.

Co-defendant Jeffrey Roy Bragg, 44, is awaiting sentencing.

Investigators say Bragg and Jackson, along with a third co-defendant, Melvin Taylor Hamp, 69, of St. Helena, victimized at least 26 people using false and misleading sales tactics.

Hamp was sentenced Oct. 25 to 60 days in jail or 250 hours community service and ordered to pay $10,696 in fines.

Victims told investigators that the suspects approached them at their homes and remained there for as long as six or seven hours to force a sale. The victims told investigators they tried to return the unwanted security systems, but the systems were never removed and they could not get their money back. The defendants were caught after investigators followed complaint leads.