By Bonnie Culverhouse
Promising one thing and delivering another landed a Bossier City man in a Webster Parish prison.
Fabio Cantu, 69, was recently transferred from a Bossier Parish prison to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center by Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputies for home improvement fraud on a 2021 case.
According to reports, Fabio Cantu’s son, Steven Cantu with Artistic Backyard Creations quoted more than $5,500 to replace a swimming pool liner at a Webster Parish residence. A deposit was reportedly made for more than $4,100 on June 10, 2021, and the resident was told a crew would take out the liner and measure it.
“A week later, she reached out to Fabio Cantu,” the report reads.
On June 22, the homeowner signed a contract with Fabio Cantu. Two days later, a crew arrived and removed the liner. On July 9, 2021, the homeowner contacted Steven Cantu and was told her liner was on order and would take 4 to 6 weeks.
When the homeowner saw on social media that Fabio Cantu was arrested, she reached out to Steven Cantu to follow up with her order.
“Steven told her he did not know why Fabio had done the things he did,” the report continues.
On July 13, 2021, the homeowner reportedly told deputies Steven Cantu had texted her the day before, asking her to drop any charges, placed blame on his father and said he would return her money. According to reports, the money was not returned, however, Steven Cantu has not been arrested to date.
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said scams like this one are still an issue.
“Homeowners like this one just want to have their homes fixed up nicely, and there are people in this world like the Cantus who take advantage of them,” Parker said. “Anyone who has a feeling that a construction company does not have their best interests at heart should call us right away.”
Parker said sometimes advanced research will keep the homeowner out of trouble, however, “Most scam artists know how to get around that, too,” he added.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.