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Oregon Man Charged In Hurricane Sandy Scam In Westport

WESTPORT, Conn. -- A man was arrested in Oregon and extradited back to Connecticut, where he was charged with scamming people in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

John Mech

John Mech

Photo Credit: Westport Police Department

The charges against 56-year-old John Mech of Seaside, Ore., stem from 2012. 

During the post-Hurricane Sandy cleanup, Mech was offering to sell and install electric generators at various residences throughout Fairfield County, police said. He would accept a down payment of $6,000 with the balance of $9,750 due upon completion, police said. 

Over the next several months, Mech failed to provide the victims with generators or perform any installations, according to police. 

After repeated attempts to resolve the issue with Mech, the victim filed a police report, and a warrant was issued for him in December 2013. Police said that Mech also had outstanding warrants from Monroe and Stamford for the same scam in differing amounts from various victims.

Police said that after the warrants were active, Mech appeared to have fled the state to avoid prosecution.

On Sept. 15, Mech was taken into custody in Seaside after being stopped by local wildlife/game control on an illegal fishing violation, police said. After researching his true identity, police were able to positively identify him and an extraditable warrant from Stamford was verified.

Mech was transported back to Connecticut by Stamford Police for six counts of third-degree larceny and four counts of home improvement violations. He was held on $55,000 bond by Stamford Police and detained by the Department of Correction.

On Sept. 21, he was processed by Westport Police while appearing at Norwalk Superior Court for the charges of third-degree larceny and home improvement violation. 

He was given a court date of Oct. 2 and held on Westport's $10,000 bond. He was returned to the custody of the Department of Correction and was detained in the Bridgeport Correctional Center on a total of $61,000 in bonds.

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