On May 13, 2024, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced that a statewide grand jury has returned a 20-count indictment against a married couple for allegedly conducting a contractor fraud scheme in the Pueblo area. The scheme followed a hailstorm in the spring of 2021.
The indictment accuses Kevin Christopher Herrera and Amanda Marie Herrera of Soco Roofing, Inc., of signing contracts with several Pueblo residents for roof replacement or other home repair services. According to the indictment, once homeowners received insurance payments, they provided these funds to Soco. These funds were then deposited into a Soco bank account without any contracted work being completed. State law mandates that such funds should be held in trust for the designated projects.
The victims did not receive refunds of their insurance funds. Several victims were older, at-risk individuals from Pueblo. The total estimated loss among the victims named in the indictment is $51,307.
Attorney General Weiser stated, “It is illegal for a contractor to take payments from clients for a project and then fail to complete those projects. Moreover, state law requires contractors to hold the client’s money in a trust and to spend the funds on the client’s project.” He further emphasized that contractor fraud causes significant harm to victims and communities and pledged his office's commitment to holding accountable those involved in this alleged criminal fraud scheme.
The Herreras face charges including racketeering and conspiracy under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act—both class 2 felonies—felony theft (including theft against an at-risk person), felony tax evasion, and failure to file a tax return or pay tax—a misdemeanor.
This investigation was conducted by the Attorney General’s Special Prosecution Unit, the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Criminal Tax Enforcement Section, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The cases are filed in Jefferson County District Court under case numbers 24CR1013 (Kevin Herrera) and 24CR1014 (Amanda Herrera). Both defendants are currently out on bond and are scheduled to appear in court on May 28.
The Attorney General's Office reminds the public that a grand jury indictment is a formal accusation that an individual committed a crime under Colorado laws, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Those who believe they might be victims of contractor fraud should file a complaint with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and contact their local police department. More information on how to detect and avoid becoming a victim of contractor fraud can be found at StopFraudColorado.gov.