Courts. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
Prosecutors said the defendant and her husband operated under multiple business names and left an elderly victim with unfinished repairs
A Cheltenham woman had multiple felony charges held for Montgomery County Common Pleas Court at a preliminary hearing Tuesday, accused by authorities of defrauding an elderly Shannondell resident of more than $11,000 through an alleged home improvement scheme.
Rachel Jasmine Dixon, 40, of the 100 block of Tookany Creek Parkway, was charged with deceptive business practices, home improvement fraud, theft by deception and theft by unlawful taking, according to a criminal complaint filed by Lower Providence Township Police.
Investigators said Dixon and her husband, identified as Hen Vaknin, 44, operated under the business names “N & Q Handyman” and “KV Home Services.”
In September 2024, the pair allegedly contracted to perform extensive home repairs for an 83-year-old woman who lived in the Shannondell retirement community in Audubon. The victim agreed to pay cash deposits for work that included painting, bathroom repairs, mold treatment and door replacements, according to the criminal complaint.
Over the following weeks, police said, Dixon provided invoices by email while Vaknin — who used the alias “Dimitri” — collected cash payments and a house key. Despite the victim paying about $11,430 in cash, detectives said little to no work was completed.
When the homeowner demanded progress and her key back, the pair allegedly stopped responding to messages.
The victim later hired another contractor to complete the unfinished repairs, spending more than $7,700 in additional costs. Detectives determined the only work done under Dixon’s company amounted to partial cleaning and minor painting.
Court records show Dixon and Vaknin also operated several other handyman businesses across the region under different names, many of which carried poor ratings and consumer complaints.
Dixon admitted in a December 2024 interview that the businesses were rebranded to overcome the negative reputation of “Crown Services Group,” another company linked to the couple, according to the affidavit.
Vaknin was also named as a co-defendant in the investigation, police said. However, according to court records, Vaknin was initially charged with misdemeanors, but all were withdrawn by prosecutors at a Sept. 30 preliminary hearing, and he was charged again with the same offenses, but as felonies. The case is currently inactive.
Dixon is free on $5,000 unsecured bail and will be arraigned in county court Dec. 10.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
