Mississippi Man Accused of Fraud

Police say a former Kiln man is accused of defrauding a Biloxi resident of more than $127,000 in what started as home-repair fraud and escalated to an investment scam.

The Sun Herald reports the arrest Wednesday of 44-year-old Ernest Christopher Thibodeaux stemmed from a property owner’s complaint involving more than $54,000 in insurance money.

Biloxi police Sgt. Donnie Dobbs says Thibodeaux had offered to sell the owner building materials and appliances to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, but the materials and appliances were never delivered and little work was done.

Dobbs say Thibodeaux gained the owner’s confidence, and obtained $72,800 in an alleged investment with an anticipated return of a 25 to 50 percent profit.

Police arrested Thibodeaux on a charge of home-repair fraud. His bond was set at $100,000.