An Orlando man must sell his Ford Mustang and pay $30,000 toward restitution after he pleaded guilty in a shutter scam that investigators have said cheated customers out of more than $450,000.
Daniel George Quinn, 48, pleaded guilty to organized scheme to defraud, a first-degree felony, according to the plea agreement. Quinn faces up to 10 years' probation and up to 30 years in prison, according to the agreement filed in circuit court in Flagler County. Circuit Judge Kim C. Hammond set sentencing for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 10.
The agreement calls for "special conditions of probation," which require Quinn to pay the $30,000 toward restitution to the victims. Quinn must pay the balance of the restitution over the term of the probation. A breakdown of that restitution will be presented at sentencing. It also calls for him to sell his Mustang before sentencing and give the money to the victims. The agreement doesn't provide any more information about the car, such as its year.
Quinn must also pay $5,000 to the state for prosecution costs, according to the agreement.
Prosecutors dropped a charge of grand theft of more than $100,000 against Quinn as part of the plea agreement filed Monday.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution, which handled the case, declined to discuss the plea agreement Tuesday. Quinn's lawyer, Michael Lafay, did not return phone calls.
Quinn owned Orlando-based Home Systems Inc., and turned himself in to authorities in October 2007 after a lengthy state investigation.
State investigators have said about 70 people in Volusia, Flagler, Orange, Brevard, Lake and Polk counties were scammed. More than half the victims were in Volusia. Their average age was 73.
Walter McClean, 86, of New Smyrna Beach, said he's glad he might see the $825 he lost to Quinn in the shutter scam. McClean said about as close as he got to getting shutters from Quinn was when someone measured the windows on his house.
"I'm glad to see that he realized he was guilty," McClean said. "And it's going to save a lot of people time and money to not have a trial."
Source: News JournalOnline
