Two Long Island brothers have been rearrested for allegedly running the same home improvement scam on elderly Queens homeowners that they pleaded guilty to last month.
Bruce Wimmer, 29, of Holbrook, and his 33-year-old brother, Michael Cristiano, of Patchogue, were arrested last week and charged with grand larceny as a hate crime, scheme to defraud and operating a home improvement business without a license.
“It appears that the defendants did not learn from their earlier encounter with the criminal justice system,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
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The duo has previously admitted to stealing more than $30,000 from three elderly Queens homeowners for chimney and roof work that was never done.
The latest arrest came less than two hours after one of the brothers made a $7,500 partial restitution payment owed in the earlier case.
Prosecutors said in the new case the suspects defrauded a 90-year-old Flushing woman out of $24,185 by overcharging her for chimney work that either was not done or was minimal at best.
Both men are being held on $35,000 bail and are due back in Queens County court Oct. 4. They face up to 15 years in prison.
