CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — A Cumberland County man was arrested after allegedly causing over $17,000 in damage to a potential customer's roof.
According to the Lower Allen Township Police Department, on Sept. 11, 2023, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Allendale Way in reference to criminal mischief on a resident's roof.
The victim explained that a solicitor with TEC (The Exterior Company), Nicholas Bridgwater, 24, came to his door in June. Bridgwater allegedly said that a recent hailstorm had damaged the roof shingles of multiple homes in the neighborhood.
Bridgwater reportedly offered to go onto the roof to evaluate it for storm damage and stated that, if damage was found, the victim's insurance company would replace the roof without a cost to him.
Bridgwater performed the evaluation and reported that he found storm damage to the shingles and recommended replacing his roof.
According to police, Bridgwater provided photos of bent and broken shingles and urged him to sign a contract with TE, so they could do the roof replacement.
In response, the victim filed an insurance claim with Erie Insurance based on the photos, documentation and statements made by Bridgewater.
On Aug. 11, Erie Insurance came to the victim's residence to inspect the roof shingle damage and evaluate the claim. They found approximately 10% of the shingles had been damaged, however, they appeared to have been pulled up and bent intentionally and were not the result of storm damage.
The insurance company provided documentation listing the total cost of the repair to the roof as $17,842.54.
On June 20, an arrest warrant was served to Bridgwater. He has been charged with insurance fraud and criminal mischief.
