A Stratford woman says her home stands gutted and unrepaired a year after an unlicensed contractor scammed her out of $50,000.
While most people are looking forward to spending the holidays with their family, Venus Rogers, 57, says she and her quadriplegic daughter won't be doing much celebrating.
Rogers' daughter, 38-year-old Amber, is a quadriplegic and requires around-the-clock care.
News 12 first reported this story one year ago about how Venus said a Stamford-based contractor had started repairs on her home but then took all of the insurance money she received following flooding damage to the property — and disappeared, leaving her house in disarray.
Stratford police issued an arrest warrant back in April for Danny Gainer, who investigators say had been operating as a contractor without a license — but he has never been arrested.
Rogers says Gainer took the $50,000 out of her bank account, without her permission - all of the cash her insurance company had given her. After the water damage had left her house flooded and gutted, Rogers said Gainer was gone.
"It's been horrible. I'm so depressed I can't even tell you; I cry every night," Rogers said.
Rogers tells News 12, "It's been hard to work up any sort of holiday spirit," especially considering what her family is going through.
"A mother of a quadriplegic daughter was preyed upon by a sham contractor," said Sen.-elect Herron Gaston. "This family has gone through so much."
Gaston says police issued an arrest warrant for Gainer for allegedly operating as a contractor without a license, but he still hasn't been arrested.