Two charged with trying to bilk Streamwood man in home repair scheme

A Niles woman with multiple warrants out of Texas on burglary and theft charges was ordered held on $85,000 bond Friday after, prosecutors say, she and a male co-defendant tried to bilk a Streamwood man out of $8,500 for unnecessary home repairs.

Julie Costa, 27, was charged with aggravated home repair fraud of a man older than 85. If convicted, Costa faces up to seven years in prison. Probation is also an option.

Kevin Miller, 21, appeared in court Thursday on the same charges. He was also ordered held on $85,000 bond.

Prosecutors say Miller knocked on the homeowner's door on March 11 and identified himself as Tony. Miller told the man his house was sinking and offered to make repairs for $6,000, said Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Jennifer Gates.

Miller and the homeowner went to a Schaumburg bank, where the homeowner started to make out a check to cash, Gates said.

"Knowing the customer to be elderly and suffering from dementia," the teller refused and insisted upon issuing a cashier's check in the name of the company that Miller said was Manny's Construction, Gates said.

Prosecutors say Costa tried to cash the check that same day but a bank teller refused, said Gates, who did not indicate if it was the same bank. On March 12, after presenting a Florida driver's license to a teller at a different bank, Costa was able to cash the check, Gates said.

On March 17, Miller returned to the homeowner and asked for an additional $2,500 to purchase tools to finish the job, Gates said. The homeowner wrote a personal check for the amount. Police were notified three days later, on March 20, when one of the defendants attempted to cash the check at an Aurora bank where the homeowner's account had been flagged, Gates said.

Aurora police caught up with the defendants at another bank.

During a search of Costa's property, police recovered a bank transaction receipt for $6,000, Gates said.

Costa and Miller next appear in court on April 18.