HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – An elderly woman in Hollywood is upset after she says she was scammed by a plumber.
Local 10 News’ Layron Livingston discovered the suspect has a lengthy criminal history.
Where the plumber is now and how many victims he’s left behind remains unknown.
A police report has been filed with Hollywood police, and they are actively investigating the case.
Stacy LoPiano said it ended up costing her 80-year-old, wheelchair using mother an additional $2,000 to fix what she had already paid the first, so-called plumber $3,500 to repair.
“About two flushes after, he left the house, the house flooded,” LoPiano said. “The bedroom, the closet, the dining room, the bathroom.”
She said the man’s name was Robert Hibbert, or “Bob,” the self-proclaimed “leak specialist.” He was hired late last month to fix LoPiano’s mother’s leaky toilet.
“We found out nothing was done,” she said. “He didn’t do anything except take the toilet off and put it back on.”
He then ghosted them after they asked for a refund.
LoPiano then did a little research and found story after story about Hibbert.
“He’s been arrested in Delaware, Connecticut, Florida,” she said. “He’s had a judgement against him to pay $26,000. He was just arrested in the Keys this year.”
That arrest was for unlicensed contracting. Hibbert has even served time, at least twice, for contractor fraud.
“I sent him his own articles, with his mug shots,” LoPiano said. “I said, ‘I know who you are, I know what you did, and I’m asking you to settle this with me, and if you don’t, I’m calling the news, I’m calling a lawyer, I’m calling the police.”
Hibbert did not answer when Local 10 News called, and there is still no word on where he currently is.
“He doesn’t care, he showed that he doesn’t care what people think of him, he doesn’t care what he does to people,” said LoPiano. “I’m just hoping that’ he’s stopped.”