LBPD arrests Sandy contractor

Police: homeowners trying to elevate were bilked out of $10,000

Posted

Long Beach police arrested a Suffolk County-based contractor on Tuesday who was paid thousands of dollars by victims of Hurricane Sandy to elevate their home but never did the work.

Danny Silsbe, 58, of Bay Shore, was arrested and charged with third-degree grand larceny on Oct. 29, after he was paid $10,000 to begin work on elevating a home in the West End that had been heavily damaged by Sandy. Police said Silsbe never began the project, but kept the deposit and dodged the homeowners for months.

Police said Silsbe recently moved to New York from Heber Springs, Ark., and is the owner of Patchogue-based Heavy Construction and Disaster Relief LLC. According to the company’s website, it has operated as a general contractor since Jan. 9.

Police Commissioner Mike Tangney said that Silsbe moved from Arkansas shortly after Sandy, and is currently being investigated by the Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs.

On March 21, Silsbe was given the $10,000 deposit to lift an undisclosed home in the West End, according to police. Over a six-month period, the homeowners tried calling, emailing and texting Silsbe, police said, and even tracked him down to speak with him in person. Police said that he still failed to begin any of the contracted work or return the $10,000.

Heavy Construction and Disaster Relief LLC claims on its website that it is rated in the top 30 percent of 40,268 contractors in New York. But police said that Silbe's licenses were suspended by Nassau County and the City of Long Beach on Aug. 27, following a hearing before the Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs. One city official who declined to be identified said that Consumer Affairs is investigating other complaints filed against Silsbe. A spokesperson there could not be reached for comment.

In September, police said that the victims in the West End reported Silsbe to Long Beach police and following an investigation, detectives arrested and charged him with grand larceny. He was arraigned in Long Beach City Court and released on $1,000 cash bail. His case will be moved to Nassau County Court. Silsbe could not be reached for comment and a phone number on the company's website was no longer working.

Page 1 / 2