New Kensington contractor accused of fleecing residents in Penn Hills, O'Hara

The owner of a New Kensington brick pointing company who is awaiting trial on charges that he ripped off a family in O’Hara by taking money for work that wasn’t done was arrested on the same charges by Penn Hills police.

Dennis M. Eror, 41, of the 300 block of Freeport Road was charged by Penn Hills police Wednesday with a felony count of home improvement fraud along with a count of theft by deception.

A date for a preliminary hearing on the charges before District Judge Anthony L. DeLuca had not been set, according to court records.

In December, O’Hara police charged Eror with felony counts of theft by deception and receiving payment in advance for work that wasn’t completed.

He was ordered to stand trial on the charges in Allegheny County Court during a Jan. 18 preliminary hearing before District Judge Matthew Rudzki, court records show.

Penn Hills police wrote in the latest criminal complaint charging Eror that, in late July, a resident reported he hired Eror’s company, 1st Choice Brick Pointing and Restoration, to do some brick pointing on a chimney and other areas and to repair a cement slab under the front porch.

The resident told police he hired Eror last spring and paid him a $1,250 deposit for work that was supposed to start in July, the complaint said. The agreement called for a final payment of $1,250 after the project was done.

After getting numerous excuses about why the start of work was delayed, the homeowner asked for a refund, which he never received, the complaint said.

Investigators said Eror also failed to respond to calls from a Penn Hills police detective.

The home improvement fraud charge against the contractor was upgraded to a felony because the alleged victim is older than 60 the complaint said.

Eror’s company did not come up in a search of the state Attorney General’s contractor registration website. The law requires contractors who do more than $5,000 worth of work a year to register with the state.

The Better Business Bureau assigned an “F” rating to 1st Choice Brick Pointing and Restoration because of complaints against the company, which is not accredited by the organization.

O’Hara police began investigating Eror in November after a resident along Field Club Ridge Road reported he paid the contractor $3,100 up front for brick work, which was half the estimated cost for the project.

The man told police Eror began work July 20 and worked for half a day but never came back, the complaint said.

Over the next several months, Eror gave the resident multiple excuses for why the work wasn’t finished, according to investigators, who said Eror did not return calls from them to resolve the matter and “hear his side.”