(WHAS11) – A man who was convicted of scamming multiple storm victims around Kentuckiana since the Windstorm of 2008 is back behind bars, this time in another state.
But his trouble here is not over yet.
WHAS11 has told you about Mike Osborne on several occasions over the past four years. He has been arrested and convicted multiple times, and he will likely soon be returned to Clark County to face charges of being a habitual felon.
Mike Osborne was captured on hidden camera two years ago by two of his roofing scam victims, after he came back demanding more money.
“We've tracked him through Michigan and Wisconsin,” said Det. Tim Franklin of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. “Last night, I learned that he was currently in custody in Racine County, Wisconsin for home improvement fraud.”
Authorities say Osborne operates several roofing and chimney repair companies he advertises online. All are listed at a Jeffersonville address, but nobody answered the door there Friday night.
“He was a good salesman. He knew to keep lowering the price until you said yes,” said Kevin Hendrick, Osborne’s latest alleged victim.
Hendrick hired Osborne to fix his chimney in August, not knowing he was on probation after felony convictions on multiple counts of home improvement fraud in Indiana.
“After I paid him the cash, I come in the house for maybe 30 minutes and then I looked out the window and their cars were gone and their complete mess was still here,” Hendrick said.
In addition to fraud convictions, Osborne has another dark secret.
“Initially we were looking for him for failure to register as a sex offender,” said Det. Franklin.
Osborne was sentenced to ten years for child molesting in Michigan in 1998.
“The Prosecutor's Office in Clark County is going to prosecute him to the fullest extent that they possibly can. If there's more victims out there, we want them to contact the prosecutor's office,” said Franklin.
In addition to failing to register, Osborne is wanted for parole violation and false reporting to police.
His businesses have all been given "F" ratings by the Better Business Bureau due to multiple unresolved complaints.
