Construction company owner defrauded Romeoville customers: records

The owner of an Elmhurst-based construction company faces 17 felony charges that accuse him of defrauding customers, engaging in money laundering and other financial crimes.

On Tuesday evening, Edmund Kavanaugh, 51, of the 600 block of South Washington Street in Elmhurst was arrested and jailed in Will County after he was charged with committing crimes through his business, Goliath Construction Corporation.

Kavanaugh has been the subject of “numerous complaints throughout the Chicagoland area by many agencies,” according to a Will County Sheriff’s Office news release.

“The detectives that worked this investigation are certain that additional unknown victims of Kavanaugh’s home repair schemes exist,” officials said. “The Will County Sheriff’s Office is urging those victims to come forward and report these crimes to your local police jurisdiction.”

The sheriff’s office, Romeoville police, Illinois Department of Revenue, Will County State’s Attorney’s Office and Elmhurst police participated in the investigation of Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh faces multiple charges of home repair fraud, money laundering, continuing financial crimes enterprise, structuring and theft by deception.

He remains in jail as of Wednesday on a $1 million bond.

A criminal complaint alleged Kavanaugh entered a contract with two Romeoville residents to install a new roof, siding, windows, driveway and garage when he was prohibited by a court order from engaging in home repair work, was not a licensed roofer and knew he would not complete the work.

Kavanaugh was charged with obtaining a certificate of liability insurance by providing false information to an insurance agency.

The structuring charge alleged Kavanaugh made multiple deposits to JPMorgan Chase Bank that were lower than $10,000 to avoid the bank’s federal reporting requirements.

Goliath Construction Corporation was incorporated on Aug. 8, 2018, and failed to follow the state’s reporting requirements for corporations, according to the Illinois Secretary of State’s website.