HAMILTON CO. — A cable guy has pleaded guilty to fraud and theft charges, both level 6 felonies.
As Call 6 Investigates reported in July, Quentin Wilson was accused of stealing a Carmel grandmother's credit card and racking up thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases.
Wilson failed to show up in court on November 25, but the court still held a change of plea hearing in the case.
He will be sentenced on February 3 on the fraud and theft charges.
Wilson denied the allegations in a phone conversation with RTV6 in July.
"The case is going to be dropped, so I'm not going to talk to anybody about it," Wilson told RTV6 on the phone. "They were false accusations."
Hamilton County prosecutors filed theft and fraud charges on July 17 against Wilson, who at the time was a Comcast contract employee.
The investigation began on May 17 when Carmel Police received a theft report from an 86-year-old Carmel woman who said her credit card and $1,000 in cash were stolen from her home.
The elderly woman said the only possible suspect was Wilson, who performed a recent installation at her home.
Carmel Police contacted ACI Company, a Comcast subcontractor, who used GPS to track Wilson's work vehicle.
They found Wilson was at the Carmel woman's home on at least five occasions — May 8, 10, 11, 13, and 14.
However, an ACI supervisor said he was only aware of three times Wilson should have been working at the victim's home, and the supervisor said there were only two work orders generated for May 10 and May 14.
Carmel police say while at her home, he stole $1,000 in cash from her dresser as well as her credit card, which he used to make $5,485 in fraudulent purchases at Best Buy, Kroger, Door Dash, Netflix, and several gas stations.
"She actually fixed dinner for this guy," said Will Huiras, attorney for the Carmel grandmother. "She's not doing well. This has really affected her."
Surveillance video showed Quentin Wilson allegedly making fraudulent purchases with a Carmel grandmother's credit card.
Huiras obtained surveillance footage from Carmel Police records that shows Wilson at the Best Buy on Lafayette Road.
Carmel Police say Wilson made three different transactions of electronics on May 15 at the Best Buy store between 6:28 and 7:11 pm.
Carmel Police also contacted ACI, who used GPS tracking to pinpoint Wilson's vehicle at the Best Buy on May 15 between 6:12 and 7:14 pm.
The victim's attorney says Comcast should be held responsible for its workers, even those working with contracted companies.
"They have the resources to comply with the law, and in this case, they just didn't," Huiras said. "They have a duty to properly vet these people and to supervise the people they're sending into our homes, and they didn't do it here. Much to the detriment of my client."
Court records show Wilson was convicted in 2014 in Marion County of criminal conversion and criminal trespass.
In January 2014, Wilson took a mattress from a Walmart store and tried to return it without a receipt, and then tried to leave the store with the merchandise, court records show.
Wilson was arrested in December 2013 for theft at a Beech Grove Walmart and was notified he was no longer allowed on any Walmart property. If he did, it would be considered trespassing, according to court documents.
Call 6 Investigates reached out to Comcast, which provided a statement indicating Wilson is no longer on the job.
"We are aware of the allegations against this contract employee, and both Comcast and his employer are cooperating fully as police continue their investigation," said Mike Wilson, Public Relations Director, Comcast-Indiana. "In the meantime, he is no longer performing any Comcast-related duties."
Call 6 Investigates reached out to ACI via email, and we are still waiting to hear back.
The elderly woman filed a lawsuit against Comcast and ACI on August 28, alleging they were negligent in their hiring and supervision practices.
The civil lawsuit is still pending, records show.
In response to the lawsuit filed on October 16, an attorney for ACI denied many of the allegations in the lawsuit and said Wilson was acting outside the court and scope of his employment with ACI.
Tips from the Better Business Bureau on how to protect yourself if you're having workers at your home:
- Lock up your wallet, medications and other valuables
- Check on the workers from time to time so they know you’re home and keeping tabs on their whereabouts in your home
- Put a credit freeze on your accounts, so no one can open a line of credit in your name
- Help elderly relatives put credit freezes on their accounts, as well as children
- Check your credit card statement regularly for fraudulent activity
