The calls started coming in to the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office from additional alleged victims within moments of the announcement of a home improvement fraud arrest in January.
At that point, District Attorney Terry Houck alleged 58-year-old Roger Kornfeind had scammed 26 people out of more than $481,000 by promising them pools and hot tubs but failing to deliver.
On Wednesday, the number of Kornfeind’s alleged victims ballooned to 76, out a combined $1,378,146 in down payments, Houck announced.
“Kornfeind promised 76 victims and their families he would deliver their pool and hot tub but instead delivered excuses,” Houck said during a news conference at the courthouse in Easton. “These victims are now out thousands of their hard-earned dollars with no finished project to show from it.”
Kornfeind, of the 2800 block of Linden Street in Bethlehem, allegedly had been taking down payments but failing to install promised pools and hot tubs since 2018, according to court records. During the coronavirus pandemic, he found more victims by exploiting their isolation and desire for backyard entertainment, according to Houck’s office.
“I think it certainly helped that Mr. Kornfeind was able to have a steady stream of people looking for swimming pools because public pools were closed, there was limited activities in the public, in the community during the quarantine,” said Deputy District Attorney Jim Augustine. “And I think that he saw a large group…
