FORMER BURR RIDGE MAN GETS 8 YEARS FOR HOME REPAIR SCAM

WHEATON- DuPage County State’s Attorney Joseph E. Birkett announced today that Tad Christensen, 44 (d.o.b. 8/9/1965) formerly of Burr Ridge, was sentenced to eight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections this morning for stealing tens of thousand of dollars from homeowners with whom he had contracted to perform home improvements.  

            From April 2003 to February 2005, Christensen, owner of Action Fire Restoration, contratcted to perform home improvements for Cook, DuPage and Will county homeowners who had sustained fire damage to their homes.  Christensen's business would then perform little or no work and then forge customer's signatures on checks issued to the homeowner from their insurance company to pay for the cost of repairs.  In addition, Christensen, would put a lien on properties to ensure the money would eventually be payed  to Action Fire Restoration.  The theft was brought to the attention of the Westmont Police Department by a former Christensen employee who had his signature forged.  Through their investigation, Westmont Police also confiscated numerous illegally owned guns from Christensen’s home.  In April 2009, Christensen entered a blind plea of guilty to one count of Continuing a Financial Crimes Enterprise, a Class 1 Felony, and one count of Possession of Firearm with Revoked FOID card, a Class 3 Felony, in front of Judge George Bakalis.

            “I’d like to thank the Westmont Police Department, the Cook County Sheriff and States Attorney Offices, as well as Assistant State's Attorney Ken Tatarelis for putting a stop to Mr. Christensen's scheme,” commented Birkett.

            In addition to his prison sentence, Christensen was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of more than $28,000.

###