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EVERGREEN PARK, Ill. - The owner of an Evergreen Park fencing company is accused of scamming Cook County residents out of more than $20,000 for work he allegedly never completed.
Eric Zabalza, 42, of Chicago, is charged with 13 counts of theft and three counts of home repair fraud.
Zabalza serves as the owner and president of Sierra Fencing Inc., a comprehensive fencing company headquartered in Evergreen Park.
According to Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office, Zabalza purportedly engaged in agreements with eight Cook County consumers between March and June 2021, committing to fence installations.
Each consumer provided down payments for these installations, totaling $20,449. However, according to Raoul's office, the fences were never installed.
"Illinois residents who enter into contracts and pay deposits for home repair work should be able to rely on businesses to complete the work promised," said Raoul. "I will continue to enforce laws that protect consumers from bad actors who take advantage of them by accepting payments without performing any work."
Assistant Attorney General Robert Schwarz is handling the prosecution on behalf of Raoul’s Criminal Enforcement Division.