Court records: Fraud defendant laughed at search warrant, said he’ll get ‘Jew Lawyer’ to ‘take care of this’

An Elmurst construction company owner facing fraud charges had reportedly laughed at a search warrant and said he would get his “Jew Lawyer” to “take care of this,” court records show.

Prosecutors reported the circumstances of the search warrant in a forfeiture complaint filed on Christmas Eve against Edmund Kavanaugh, 51, who owns Goliath Construction Corporation.

Kavanaugh was arrested Oct. 6 after he was charged with defrauding customers, engaging in money laundering and other financial crimes.

Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of $2,182 in cash that was seized from Kavanaugh.

Deputies met with Kavanaugh after they executed a search warrant at his home in the 600 block of South Washington Street in Elmhurst, prosecutors said. Kavanaugh was provided a copy of the search warrant.

“In response, Edmund laughed at the search warrant and stated he would get his ‘Jew Lawyer’ to ‘take care of this.’ Edmund further stated that if he was not under arrest, he would not cooperate with officers,” prosecutors said.

As a result, deputies showed Kavanaugh an arrest warrant signed by Judge Roger Rickmon and took him into custody.

During the search of Kavanaugh’s home, deputies recovered multiple loaded firearms, ammunition, about $1,337 in cash from Kavanaugh, $2,450 in cash inside of a Louis Vuitton box and a 2016 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Kavanaugh was involved in a scheme to defraud people by “taking money for construction and/or demolition work and then failing to perform or fully perform said work.”

“The proceeds of these felonies were deposited into certain financial accounts held or controlled by Kavanaugh, or were turned into cash through financial institutions or money service businesses,” prosecutors said.

In a news release, sheriff officials said Kavanaugh has been the subject of “numerous complaints throughout the Chicagoland area by many agencies.”

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 the Will County jail on a $1 million bond and he will need to post $100,000 for his release.