PROVIDENCE, R.I. — An Irish national living illegally in the U.S. has been sentenced to federal prison for defrauding homeowners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts of more than $1.5 million, the U.S. Attorney said Tuesday.
John O’Brien, 28, was sentenced to 56 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Charles Calenda said in a statement. U.S. District Court Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. handed down his sentence.
O’Brien is expected to be deported following the completion of his sentence.
O’Brien pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2025, to wire fraud.
“John O’Brien’s scheme was not just fraudulent, it was predatory. He deliberately targeted homeowners and exploited their trust for personal and financial gain,” Calenda said.
“This case reflects a broader pattern of individuals known as ‘Traveling Conmen’ who cross state lines for the purpose of defrauding victims,” Calenda said. “Individuals who engage in this kind of calculated deception should expect to be aggressively investigated and prosecuted in federal court. This office will continue to prioritize protecting individuals from this type of premeditated scheme. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of O’Brien’s conduct and the harm it causes to victims.”
Homeland Security Investigations New England Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming echoed his words.
“O’Brien preyed on unsuspecting homeowners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts by posing as a skilled tradesman and contractor—someone they could trust,“ Grimming said in a statement.
“Instead, this conman fleeced homeowners of upwards of $1 million while inflicting substantial damage to their homes,” Grimming said.
In one case, Grimming said, O’Brien used his Irish heritage to build rapport with an elderly veteran in Warwick, “only to extort him for tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary home repairs.”
“These scammers actively manipulate homeowners’ emotions, and anyone can be a victim,” Grimming said. “We urge homeowners to be wary of anyone offering unsolicited services and, most importantly, to come forward if they’ve been victimized. After today’s sentence, O’Brien will serve serious federal prison time and be subsequently deported.”
Warwick Police Colonel Michael Lima said in a statement that “This case is a direct result of the exceptional work of our detectives and the strong partnerships we’ve built with our local, state, and federal law enforcement colleagues.”
“Their persistence, attention to detail, and commitment to protecting our community ensured that a sophisticated and predatory scheme was thoroughly investigated and brought to justice,” Lima said.
Prosecutors said O’Brien and his co-conspirators induced homeowners to pay for home repairs that were unnecessary and often not completed.
O’Brien falsely claimed structural problems, overstated repair needs, and misrepresented the necessity of services, as well as the qualifications of his purported construction companies, including Traditional Masonry & Construction, prosecutors said.
In some instances, O’Brien initially performed or recommended minor repairs before falsely claiming that additional, more extensive work was urgently needed, “significantly increasing the cost to homeowners,” prosecutors said.
O’Brien’s fraud scheme came to the attention of law enforcement when an 83-year-old Warwick resident reported to police that he had been defrauded by a contractor.
The man reported that O’Brien told him he saw cracks in the victim’s foundation while working in the neighborhood.
O’Brien offered to repair the foundation damage and collected $9,500 from the victim, prosecutors said.
As work continued, O’Brien claimed he had found further damage and revised the repair costs, seeking $80,000 more from the victim.
A home inspector hired by the U.S. Attorney’s Office later reviewed the property and found no evidence of a need for these extensive foundation repairs, Calenda said.
At the change of plea hearing on Dec. 11, 2025, O’Brien admitted to defrauding property owners of over $1.5 million between July 2021 and March 2025.
Calenda said the scheme O’Brien took part in is becoming increasingly common nationwide.
According to the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, the Traveling Conmen Fraud Group has been recognized as a Transnational Organized Crime group.
Members are typically groups of Irish or U.K. nationals who entered the United States on pleasure or tourist visas and overstayed their visits or, more commonly, entered the United States illegally, officials said.
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