More criminal charges filed in snow removal case
A Minnesota man is facing 22 new criminal charges in Wisconsin in connection with what authorities say was a scam in which senior citizens paid for snow removal services that were never delivered.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice late Tuesday filed 14 additional felony and eight new misdemeanor counts of theft in a business setting against Matthew D. Erickson of Cottage Grove, Minn.
The charges were filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
Erickson is accused of selling prepaid snow removal services and never providing those services.
In May, the DOJ charged Erickson with two felony counts and three misdemeanor counts of theft in a business setting in Waukesha County in connection with what investigators say was a scam in which money was collected for snow removal work that was never done.
Some of the theft charges rise to felony status because of a provision in state law known as an elder abuse enhancer that applies in some cases where victims are 60 years or older.
Erickson was arrested in Minnesota in May and was held for a time in the Hennepin County Jail in Minneapolis. He was released on a cash bond under terms that he would turn himself in to Wisconsin.
An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for Erickson in connection with the newest charges. Erickson has an initial court appearance scheduled Thursday afternoon in Waukesha County Circuit Court.
According to the criminal complaint filed Tuesday, investigators say they have identified additional victims in the case, bringing the totals to 32 in Wisconsin and 131 nationwide.
In Wisconsin, five of the victims are located in Waukesha County, 22 in Milwaukee County, one in Ozaukee, and two each in Washington and Racine counties. Victims have been identified in eight other states, the DOJ said.
The DOJ said the total amount of restitution for the uncompleted snow removal services is up to $14,480 in Wisconsin. Nationwide, the amount exceeds $60,000.
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, in 2016, Erickson mounted a campaign for Congress in Minnesota’s Second Congressional District. According to the Minnesota secretary of state, Erickson finished last in a four-way Republican primary, garnering 1,612 votes out of 23,802 votes cast.
The Better Business Bureau began investigating Erickson and his company, Snow Angels, in January after receiving two complaints of pre-paid snow removal services that was never completed. The BBB then directed victims to local police and the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The BBB issued a warning against Erickson and Snow Angels in February saying it had received multiple complaints about uncompleted snow removal services.
Individuals with additional information about Erickson or Snow Angels can call the Wisconsin DOJ Consumer Protection investigators at (608) 2668063, the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau or Elm Grove Police Department.