A North Wales man is facing a pair of felony charges after he allegedly entered into an agreement with an elderly woman to replace her home and water heaters, then stole all of the home’s copper piping and caused thousands of dollars-worth of damage to the residence.
According to the criminal complaint, 33-year-old Jeffrey Tourdot entered into an agreement with the victim in February 2019 to determine the cause of a water back-up in her residence, located along West Walnut Street in North Wales Borough. Tourdot allegedly told the victim that new piping was needed, and recommended the removal of the home’s old oil furnace and fuel tank as well as the installation of a new gas heater and water heater, the report states.
On April 7, Tourdot allegedly began demolition and removed all of the copper piping in the home, along with the old furnace and water heater, the report states. Tourdot also allegedly demolished several walls in the home that were not part of the agreement, according to the report.
Police said that Tourdot continued to ask the victim for money to purchase supplies, but never followed through with the agreed-upon installation. The report states that money for the new heater was paid, but the heater was never received, and though a hot water heater was installed, it was the wrong size for the home, according to the report.
The victim told police that Tourdot sent multiple texts stating that everything was going to be fixed, but he soon stopped showing up and avoided further contact with the victim, according to the report. Police said that the victim’s home suffered additional damage during the demolition, and the oil from the old furnace tank was left on the victim’s property.
In total, the victim suffered a loss of more than $15,000, and the project remains unfinished at this time, police said.
As a result of the investigation, felony charges of theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception were filed against Tourdot on Dec. 16, and he was arraigned on those charges on Dec. 23 by Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard, who set bail at $1,000 cash.
Tourdot was then remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Jan. 6, 2020, at 11:30 a.m. in front of Judge Leonard.
Prior Arrests This Year
The current charges against Tourdot mark his third arrest in 2019.
In October 2019, Tourdot was charged with misdemeanor counts of DUI: Controlled Substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and other drug-related charges, in addition to summary counts of driving on a suspended license and careless driving, after North Wales Borough Police allegedly found him unconscious in his pickup truck, which was parked at the North Wales Train Station.
As police were about to break the window, Tourdot reportedly regained consciousness and got out of the vehicle, at which time police noticed a needle on the driver’s seat, the report states. He was then placed under arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Tourdot allegedly admitted to using three baggies of heroin, police said. In searching Tourdot and his vehicle, police allegedly found 19 baggies of heroin, capped needles, cash and a number of opened baggies, the report states.
That arrest came roughly two months after an incident that occurred in Lansdale Borough, in which Tourdot allegedly overdosed while driving and crashed into the front of a convenience store in August.
In that case, Tourdot was given two doses of Narcan at the scene of the crash, and he was later charged with misdemeanor counts of DUI: controlled substance – schedule 2 or 3, DUI: controlled substance – impaired ability, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as summary counts of driving on a suspended license, driving without insurance and careless driving.
According to court records, both his August and October cases are currently active in the system.
(Editor's note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records, the affidavit of probable cause, and reflects the point of view of the police. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
See also:
Man Who Received Two Doses Of Narcan After Crashing Into Store Is Arrested Again: Police
Driver Identified, Charged With DUI, Drug Possession In Convenience Store Crash
Driver Believed To Be Under The Influence Of Drugs At Time Of Sunday’s Crash: Police
Driver Injured After Striking Building In Lansdale (UPDATED)
Upper Dublin Man Charged With Murder After Beating Father To Death: DA
