JEFFERSON CO, Mo (News First) – A U.S. district court judge has sentenced a contractor from Jefferson County to five years probation, 90 days of house arrest and 80 hours of community service for his role in the financial exploitation of an elderly St. Louis woman. 27-year-old Austin James of Hillsboro was also ordered to repay $94,606 to the victim’s estate. James aided in the crimes of 36-year-old Gino Rives, who the 80-year-old victim hired sometime before January 17th, 2021 to repair her roof for $7,500.
She next hired Rives who falsely claimed to be a licensed contractor to renovate the interior of her home. Rives told the woman to write checks to himself and others, including James, that totaled more than $550,000 for renovations on the one-bedroom, one-bath, 1,100-square-foot home. After being contacted by concerned bank employees due to the volume of checks being written on the victim’s account, the St. Louis City Building Inspector’s Office determined that any work done on the house was worth at most $50,000.
James received eight checks totaling $94,606 between January 2021 and July 2021 for purportedly performing work on the victim’s, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, basement and foundation. Photos presented during the sentencing hearing proved that he did not perform the work for which he had been paid. James pleaded guilty to one count of identity theft. Rives of Edmundson, in St. Louis County, was sentenced in June to 87 months in prison and ordered to repay more than $1 million to elder fraud victims. If you have concerns about suspected abuse or neglect of the elderly or disabled should contact Missouri’s Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 800-392-0210.
