John O’Brien, Home Repair Fraud Scheme, Rhode Island 2025

A Rhode Island man has been sentenced to 56 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to defraud homeowners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.

John O’Brien, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 56 months in federal prison. He is expected to be deported following the completion of his sentence. O’Brien pleaded guilty on December 11, 2025, to wire fraud.

O’Brien’s scheme was not just fraudulent, it was predatory. He deliberately targeted homeowners and exploited their trust for personal and financial gain, said United States Attorney Calenda. This case reflects a broader pattern of individuals known as ‘Traveling Conmen’ who cross state lines for the purpose of defrauding victims.

O’Brien preyed on unsuspecting homeowners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts by posing as a skilled tradesman and contractor—someone they could trust. Instead, this conman fleeced homeowners of upwards of $1 million while inflicting substantial damage to their homes. In one case, O’Brien, an illegal immigrant from Ireland, used his origin to build rapport with an elderly veteran in Warwick, Rhode Island over their shared Irish heritage only to extort him for tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary home repairs.

The case was a direct result of the exceptional work of the Warwick Police Department and their strong partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement colleagues. Their persistence, attention to detail, and commitment to protecting their community ensured that a sophisticated and predatory scheme was thoroughly investigated and brought to justice.

O’Brien’s fraud scheme came to the attention of law enforcement when an 83-year-old Warwick resident, identified in court documents as Victim 1, contacted the Warwick Police Department to report that he had been defrauded by a contractor. Victim 1 reported that O’Brien told him that, while doing work in the neighborhood, he observed cracks in Victim 1’s foundation. O’Brien offered to repair the damage to the foundation and collected $9,500 from Victim 1. As work proceeded, O’Brien claimed that further damage was discovered. O’Brien revised the costs for repairs and sought an additional $80,000 from the victim.

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