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Charges: Man swindles clients

Home repair and landscaping work may have a New Lenox man in cour twice this month

JOLIET -- A former New Lenox landscaper accused of bilking customers now has been charged with aggravated home repair fraud.

Michael K. Doman, 43, of  the 2300 block of  Palmer Ranch Drive, agreed to replace a sump pump for a New Lenox woman Feb. 5, according to the complaint filed in Will County court. The cost of the job would be more than $5,000, and the homeowner wrote him a check for $1,320. But Doman didn't intend to actually do the work, according to the complaint.

The New Lenox woman could not be reached for comment.

Frank Cservenyak, Doman's lawyer, talked briefly Monday about the latest charges.

"Mr. Doman is doing what every hard-working male does -- going out to try and provide for his family," Cservenyak said. "He is not violating any court orders nor is he committing any crimes."

Doman installed a new sump pump and it worked, Cservenyak said.

"The homeowner actually signed paperwork indicating the work was done to her satisfaction," Cservenyak said.

Doman will appear April 29 in Will County Judge Richard Schoenstedt's courtroom on the newly filed fraud charges.

In 2003, state prosecutors filed an injunction asking Doman to stop working as a landscaper. A judge granted that request.

Then in 2004, Doman was charged with two counts of theft by deception, and three counts of unlawful clouding of a title, all misdemeanors. He was accused of taking money from customers to do work and never completing the jobs. Unlawful clouding of a title happens when a contractor is hired and paid to do work, but doesn't. Then the customer stops payment, and the contractor puts a lien on a house and causes problems with the title.

Two years later, those charges were dismissed, Cservenyak said. But eight new charges of felony theft -- related to the same misdemeanor cases -- were filed against Doman, Cservenyak said.

In August, two more theft charges were filed against Doman. He allegedly cashed a homeowner's check after being told that she wanted to cancel payment, according to court documents.

The court file did not explain why the homeowner wrote the check.

Doman is scheduled to go to trial April 14 on the felony theft charges.

"After a jury hears the evidence they will disagree with the state and agree with our position that he did not commit any crimes," Cservenyak said.

Reporter Stewart Warren can be reached at (815) 729-6068 or swarren@scn1.com