SARASOTA - Four family members were convicted of scamming homeowners out of thousands of dollars by having them sign paperwork they thought was for refinancing but was for home improvements or liens.
On Thursday, a jury convicted James Pizzo, his wife, son and daughter-in-law of more than 25 counts of racketeering, grand theft, mortgage fraud and organized scheme to defraud.
Each faces as much as 30 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. Prosecutors said the Pizzos - James, wife Edwina, son James Jr. and daughter-in-law Rozlyn - ran East Coast Exteriors Inc. in Vero Beach.
Most of those scammed said they thought they were refinancing their homes, but instead wound up having windows and siding installed.
The Pizzos, preying mostly on the elderly and homeowners looking for a good deal, got signatures and money fraudulently and often through intimidation and pestering. They continued the scams even after their arrests in 2001.
"People have been defrauded from South Carolina all the way down the coast to Vero Beach," assistant state prosecutor Thomas D. Smith told Judge Peter Dubensky after the conviction.
