A Tampa man is facing charges after Flagler County deputies say he took $4,000 from an 88-year-old Palm Coast woman for air duct work he never finished. His name is Amjad Otor, and he’s 32.
Otor was arrested with help from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. He’s charged with organized scheme to defraud and theft from a person 65 or older, then released from the Broward County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
How It Started
Back in February, the woman contacted a business going by Universal Air Duct Cleaning LLC to clean the ductwork in her Palm Coast home. Two men showed up in an unmarked, dark-colored Chevrolet pickup truck, no company branding on it or anything.
They cleaned part of the system and charged her $500. Then came the pitch, they told her some of her ductwork needed replacing and quoted her $5,000 for that extra job, asking for a partial payment up front.
The Money Trail
According to the arrest affidavit, Otor took $1,000 in cash from the woman. He even showed her a piece of new ductwork, telling her it was what would go in. Later, he told her the replacement work was done. She then wrote two checks totaling $3,000.
So in total, $500 covered the original cleaning, and the other $3,500 was supposed to be for a duct replacement that, as it turns out, never happened.
She Got Suspicious, and She Was Right
The woman started having doubts and asked her handyman to take a look at the attic. He found the damaged ductwork was still sitting right there, untouched. The insulation hadn’t been disturbed either. A certified inspector later confirmed the same thing: no replacement work had actually been done.
When she called the company to get the work finished, nobody picked up anymore. Investigators say Otor’s truck had only been at her home for less than 90 minutes total.
Company Wasn’t Even Licensed
Here’s where it gets worse. Deputies worked with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and found out Universal Air Duct Cleaning is actually out of business and doesn’t hold a current license. The company also has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau, along with several other complaints about unfinished work.
The company’s owner, Tomer Nahmani, 25, of Altamonte Springs, allegedly hired Otor as a subcontractor. Nahmani isn’t a licensed contractor either.
Sheriff Doesn’t Hold Back
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly didn’t mince words about the case. He said the man sold an 88-year-old woman nothing but hot air and walked away with $4,000 for it, calling it a disgusting move to take advantage of anyone, especially a senior.
His office is reminding homeowners to look up a contractor’s license through the state’s online license-search tool before letting anyone into their home for repair work. Staly’s advice was pretty blunt too: never pay in cash, and if someone asks for it, that’s a sign something’s off.
Where Things Stand
The case is still working its way through the system, and nothing has been proven in court yet. For now, it’s a reminder that even a routine job like duct cleaning can turn into a scam if you don’t check who you’re actually letting into your house.