Police: New Information About Carney Home Improvement Scam

Police say they have identified a vehicle that was present during what they suspect may have been a home improvement scam in Carney on March 13.

A grey Ford pickup truck with Pennsylvania tags YBV5274 was seen in the 2900 block of Superior Avenue on March 13, when police said an elderly woman was approached by a contractor seeking to perform work on her driveway.

The woman and a neighbor asked the contractor to show his license and, when he was unable to, the contractor left.

Police said the vehicle is leased to Earl Marshall Nicholson Jr., 51, who has a Virginia address.

Both Nicholson and his son, Earl Marshall Nicholson III, have outstanding warrants in other jurisdictions related to alleged home improvement violations, according to Officer Mark Dorsey.

Despite the vehicle being present at the scene, Dorsey said police have not been able to definitively place either of those men at the scene.

Regardless, police believe based on the vehicles presence that the two men may be trying to perform unlicensed home improvements in the Parkville-Carney area and released photos of both men to Patch.

Dorsey urged anyone who sees the vehicle to call 911.

Following the incident last week, Dorsey urged residents to be aware of the potential for home improvement scams.

"People need to be aware of home improvement scams," Dorsey said. "This is the time of year this seems to happen."

Contractors involved in scams, he said, will typically target the elderly, drive unmarked vehicles and most importantly will not be able to produce a valid Maryland Home Improvement license.

Scammers, he said, will often get paid for a job and say they'll come back in a couple of days to fix it and never return.