Roofer accused of stealing more than $100K from residents of 55+ community

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. — A roofer is accused of taking thousands of dollars in deposits from more than a dozen residents in a 55-plus community and then failing to do the work.

Matthew Will owns Five Star Discount Roofing in Halifax which, in a matter of a few months, went from recommended to reviled in Middleborough's Oak Point development after he allegedly took deposits and never did promised work.

It started last March when a windstorm damaged many roofs. Like many others, Joseph Gulino hired Matthew Will to fix it.

"Matt has done five, seven, eight personal friends of mine's houses and did a completed good job so that's why I hired him," said Gulino.

But five months later, after he says he paid $9,000 to Will, Gulino still doesn't have a new roof, but the roofer did leave a dumpster in his driveway for weeks. The dumpster company finally hauled it away, but only after Gulino paid $600.

Down the street, Judith D'Arrigo hired Will to convert her open porch into a room. A big mistake, she says, and a costly one.

"All winter long this whole room was in paper plastic flapping with the wind and the weather and everything all winter long because he did nothing," said D'Arrigo.

At the business address listed on court papers, Boston 25 News found a roofing truck and signs warning of guard dogs. Our attempts to reach Will by phone or email failed and his attorney did not return an email requesting comment.

The court papers indicate Will faces 15 felony counts of larceny over $250 by false pretense and one count of forgery.

The youngest of the fifteen alleged victims listed in the court papers is 70 years old. The oldest is 86. The dollar amounts lost range from a couple of thousand dollars to $14,000.

"Justice first, I guess. You know, the money is secondary, I suppose but I would like to get as much back as I can," said D'Arrigo.

Cox Media Group