Seven arrested in Livingston Parish asphalt scam
LIVINGSTON — Seven people in Louisiana and Texas have been arrested during the past month in an asphalt scam that cost victims thousands of dollars, the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office reported Friday.
Members of an asphalt crew approached residents and business owners with unsolicited offers for driveway or parking lot repair, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
The victims were told that leftover materials from another paving job were available for a discounted price, and in one case, an 85-year-old homeowner was quoted a price of $90 “to spread some material in his driveway,” Chief Deputy Jason Ard said in the news release.
When the homeowner later noticed his driveway was being ripped up, the price went up to $5,000 and the homeowner, feeling intimidated, reluctantly agreed to pay a “discounted price” of $2,800 for work that left him with a partially destroyed driveway, Ard said.
According to the release, those arrested and the crimes with which they were booked are:
- Billy Densmore II, 37, 38434 Bonnie View, Prairieville, one count of racketeering, one count of money laundering, two counts of felony theft, one count of drug racketeering and two outstanding warrants from other agencies. Densmore was transferred to the Ascension Parish Jail to face pending charges in that parish.
- Amelia Susan Densmore, 36, 17867 Airline Highway, Prairieville, one count of racketeering.
- Dakota Perry Densmore, 17, 17867 Airline Highway, Prairieville, one count of racketeering, one count of felony misapplication of payments by contractors and two counts of felony theft.
- Alvin J. Edwards, 39, 1816 Couteau Road, Houma, five counts of felony theft, one count of racketeering and one count of fraud in the sales or pledges of a promissory note. Edwards was held in lieu of $240,000 bail.
- Derrick Johnson, 39, 330 N. Moore, Dallas, two counts of money laundering, six counts of felony theft, one count of racketeering and one count of fraud in the sales or pledges of a promissory note. Johnson was held in lieu of $275,000 bail.
- Jose M. Ramirez, 50, 2124 Diez, McAllen, Texas, eight counts of felony theft and one count of racketeering. Ramirez was held in lieu of $245,000 bail.
A teenage juvenile also was arrested on related counts and has since been released from custody, Ard said.
Authorities seized several pieces of heavy equipment used in the scam, as well as more than $400,000 in cash found in Billy Densmore’s possession at the time of his arrest, Ard said.