Tampa-area scam leaves 97 unfinished roofs, nets arrests

Five employees from a Tampa area roofing business have been arrested and three more employees are being sought in an roofing scam that left nearly 100 Tampa Bay area homeowners with unfinished roof repairs, Jeff Atwater, the states chief financial officer, announced on Wednesday.

According to Atwater, NBRC Roofing Co. employees would visit a home after a storm and convince homeowners roof repairs were needed. The company would help the homeowner file an insurance claim but would take the insurance money and not do the roof repairs, Atwater said in a press release.

The insurance fraud scheme has totaled $525,000, Atwaters office said, and affected 97 homeowners in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Hernando, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Five NBRC Roofing Company employees have been arrested and charged with organizing a scheme to defraud, a first-degree felony that is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

The NBRC employees who were arrested are Frank Martin Pureber, of Apollo Beach; Carlton Dunko, of Tampa; Stacy Lynn Dunko, of Tampa; Joel Samuel Deserio, of Tampa; and Alexander Josue Gomez, of Riverview.

Investigators are still searching for Eric Shane Johnson, of Bradenton; Christopher Michael Rios, of Brandon; and Benjamin Zebulon Matthews, of Lakewood Ranch.

Anyone who might have information on this case is asked to contact the state Department of Financial Services at 1-800-378-0445.

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Tampa-area scam leaves 97 unfinished roofs, nets arrests