Elmhurst man sentenced to 7 years in prison for fraud

The owner of an Elmhurst-based construction company will spend time in prison after he pleaded guilty to scamming customers through home repair fraud.

On Feb. 4, Edmund Kavanaugh, 53, of Elmhurst pleaded guilty to continuing a financial crimes enterprise and was sentenced to seven years in prison by Judge Carmen Goodman, according to a news release from Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow.

Kavanaugh was arrested Oct. 6, 2020, and charged with committing home repair fraud scams through his business, Goliath Construction Corporation.

Glasgow said Kavanaugh defrauded customers out of thousands of dollars by failing to complete home repair projects and writing checks to suppliers that he did not honor.

Glasgow called Kavanaugh a “textbook scam artist” who repeatedly defrauded victims out of their “hard-earned money and engaged in various schemes so that his scams could continue.”

“It is about time that this con artist who has swindled victims throughout the Chicagoland area has received what he so richly deserves – time in prison,” Glasgow said.

Kavanaugh also must pay about $42,215 in restitution.

Glasgow commended the work of Will County Assistant State’s Attorneys Michael Casson and Erin Krone, and administrative professional Traci Knutson for their “commitment and hard work in this matter.”

Kavanaugh will receive 487 days credit for time served in the Will County jail.

Prosecutors alleged in a forfeiture complaint that Kavanaugh laughed at a search warrant executed by Will County sheriff’s deputies as part of their investigation into his scams.

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

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