TRI-CITIES, Wash. — It all started with a simple Craiglist ad.
Pasco resident Michael Marmon was looking for contractor and building help, turning to a familiar website he’s used before.
When Marmon, who has worked in construction himself, came across an ad posted by 39-year-old Antonio “Tony” Gonzalez, it seemed harmless.
“Yeah, it seemed legitimate. It had a Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) number on it and he was a smooth talker,” Marmon said. “He was good at it, let’s put it that way.”
Marmon said they chatted for a bit before Gonzalez came out and gave him a bid.
“He wanted a deposit upfront so I gave him $2,000 dollars,” Marmon said. “After that, it was emails back and forth. He never came out again.”
Marmon said he grew frustrated as Gonzalez “just kept making excuses on and on and on.”
“That’s when I ran an ad on Craiglist warning everyone that he was a rip-off, basically,” Marmon said.
That ad caught the attention of retired Richland resident Nancy Murray, who had also fallen victim to the alleged scam last year.
Like Marmon, she had been searching on Craigslist for someone to help her fix her bathroom.
According to Murray, Gonzalez came over to give her an initial quote with a downpayment of $3,000 dollars.
Murray said he worked once and then used excuses like breaking his…
