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Fraudulent tree trimmer who damaged home, injured man in Sagamore Hills, pleads guilty

27-year-old Cory Howard pled guilty to several charges for his role in the botched tree removal that seriously injured 82-year-old George Homa.

A Sagamore Hills man hired a alleged "tree removal" company to help him clean up from a storm, investigators say that unlicensed company's shoddy work caused a tree to fall on his home in November.

It nearly cost 82-year-old George Homa his life.

On Friday, 27-year-old Cory Howard of Springfield pled guilty on the following charges for his responsibility in the botched tree removal:

  • Theft from the Elderly – a felony of the 4th degree
  • Failure to Remit Ohio Sales Tax – a felony of the 4th degree
  • Falsification – a misdemeanor of the 1st degree
  • Vendor or Transient Vendor’s License violation – a misdemeanor of the 4th degree
  • Operating without a vendor’s License – a minor misdemeanor

Howard approached Homa after a storm in November posing as a tree trimmer and offering to clean up debris. Homa paid Howard's company, Alternative Property Maintenance, $3,000 up front to do the work.

Howard had business cards with three different company names and the slogan "We treat your property like it's our own." He also claimed to have insurance coverage which turned out to be fraudulent.

On November 19, while Howard's workers were removing debris, they cut down a tree that crashed into George's Homa's home. Repairs have still not been completed.

Homa tripped while trying to escape and was trapped, suffering significant injuries.

George Homa of Sagamore Hills

"Knee crunched, tibia broken, ankle broken. We got shoulder damage and rib damage. I got 7 rods in my pelvis, titanium plates, and 14 screws keeping things together," George told WKYC's Carl Bachtel in November. Homa was just released from a rehabilitation facility after spending several months recovering from his injuries.

George's family has established a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses.

According to Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh, none of Howard's businesses were registered with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. Additionally, Howard did not register with the Summit County Office of Consumer Affairs, which is required to conduct door-to-door business solicitation in Summit County. In all, Cory Howard operated four tree cutting businesses and owned a fleet of 12 vehicles.

Howard will be sentenced on July 9 in Summit County Common Pleas Court.

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