All Seasons owner turns himself in at county jail

Published 10:14 am Tuesday, February 10, 2015

He was a couple of hours late, but the owner of a contracting company that left Ironton residents with leaky roofs and empty pockets turned himself in to the county jail on Friday to start his three-year prison sentence.

Leo Patrick Richard II, of Manhattan, Illinois, owner of All Seasons of Kentucky, was sentenced by Judge D. Scott Bowling on Jan. 7 for charges of third-degree engaging in a pattern of a corrupt activity, 11 fourth-degree counts of theft from the elderly and two fourth- and 22 fifth-degree counts of theft.

Richard was also ordered to pay a total of $143,426 in restitution to 35 victims in the home repair case, about $46,000 of which has been paid.

Email newsletter signup

Bowling gave the man a month from the sentencing date to get his affairs in order and collect more restitution, as requested by Richard and his attorney.

As of Monday, no addition restitution had been paid, according to information from the Lawrence County Clerk of Courts office.

Restitution was, however, paid out from the $46,000 on Monday. While victims will only receive pennies on the dollar compared to what they lost to All Seasons, according to J. Bartley Cosgrove, assistant Ohio attorney general of the consumer protection and economic crimes unit, who prosecuted the case, it’s something.

According to the clerk of courts office, checks were paid to the victims ranging as high as $3,543 and as low as $326.

Richard and his wife, Carol, were indicted on more than 100 criminal acts in November 2013 following a months-long investigation by the Ironton Police Department and Ohio Attorney General’s Office into allegations the company was paid for home repair services but did not perform any or all of the work they were hired to do.

Carol Richard was sentenced in October to four years community control sanctions after pleading guilty to a count of third-degree attempted engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. She was also ordered jointly to pay restitution.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office also filed a civil lawsuit against All Seasons of Kentucky and the Richards in September 2013. The lawsuit, which was filed in the Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas, concluded with a default judgment in July 2014. The defendants were ordered to pay $169,004 in consumer restitution and $75,000 in civil penalties.

Shields Roofing and Construction, of South Point, also filed a lawsuit in June of 2013, which concluded in August of this year with a judgment of $43,241 awarded to the plaintiff for unpaid services.