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D.A.: Montco man certified homes without inspecting them

A Montgomery County-based home inspector defrauded at least 138 property buyers by promising inspections he never performed, prosecutors said Thursday.

Joseph T. Michalski is charged with defrauding Montgomery County clients for home inspections he never performed.
Joseph T. Michalski is charged with defrauding Montgomery County clients for home inspections he never performed.Read moreMontgomery County District Attorney's office

A Montgomery County-based home inspector defrauded at least 138 property buyers by promising inspections he never performed, prosecutors said Thursday.

Joseph T. Michalski, 46, of Souderton, is facing charges of felony theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and other offenses for allegedly ripping off customers of his business, Sherlock Homes Inspection Services.

The company sold home-inspection services such as water, termite and radon testing, the Montgomery County District Attorney's office said.

But at least 138 people across seven counties – Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh and Philadelphia – paid Michalski for inspections that he either did not conduct or wasn't certified to perform, according to the prosecutors.

In total, he defrauded the home buyers out of more than $18,000, authorities said.

Law enforcement officials began investigating Michalski after a real estate agent and home buyer contacted the Montgomery County Detective Bureau in January, saying the home-inspection business had billed the buyer for water testing that wasn't performed, prosecutors said.

Other real estate agents and buyers provided similar accounts. A science center said it had no record of tests purportedly done by Sherlock Homes, and the state Department of Environmental Protection reported that Michalski did not have a license for radon testing, according to court records.

He was released on $20,000 unsecured bail after a Thursday arraignment. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 6.