PHOENIX – Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a State Grand Jury indicted Keith Edward Benevento on three felony charges. The Phoenix Police Department arrested Benevento on Thursday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Benevento is accused of stealing more than $15,000 dollars from an Arizona family while performing unlicensed construction work. The indictment arises from an investigation by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
According to investigators with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, Benevento was hired in January 2011 to perform various repairs at a home in Surprise, AZ. Benevento allegedly represented himself as a licensed contractor. The victims were a husband and wife in their 80s at the time of the alleged events; one of the victims also suffered from dementia. Benevento presented the victims with invoices supporting his work, and the victims paid him a total of $15,916.26. Benevento is accused of misleading the victims regarding the extent of his work and how long certain jobs took to complete. According to ROC investigators, the cost of the work should have been less than $4,000. Due to alleged poor workmanship, investigators determined it would cost an additional $2,000 to $3,000 to correct Benevento’s reportedly defective work.
Benevento is charged with Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, Fraudulent Schemes and Practices, and Theft.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Andy Kvesic.
All defendants are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.
For additional information, members of the media may contact Mia Garcia, Director of Media Relations at (602) 339-5895 or [email protected].
Full copy of Benevento's indictment.