Crime & Safety

Police: Man Swindles Cloud 9 Sky Flats Out Of $18,000

Thomas Strecker was paid $18,000 to do work he never even started.

Thomas William Strecker, 43 of Minnetonka, was charged recently for felony theft by swindle, after police say he was paid $18,000 to do work he never even started. 

On July 26, Minnetonka officers responded to a call from Cloud 9 Sky Flats Homeowners Association, who said they had suffered a $18,000 loss.

Officers were told the association had entered into agreement with a Strecker to replace elevators in one of their buildings. The total cost of the project was $36,000. The management company had been told the construction company had all necessary licensing to complete the project.

Strecker asked for 50 percent of the payment prior to starting the project. The issued check was immediately deposited into the defendant’s account; however, the work wasn’t started on schedule and was never completed.

The management company made repeated attempts to contact the defendant with no success. Further investigation revealed that Strecker did not have the required licenses to complete the job he was hired to do. 


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