A Saco man has been accused of operating an unlawful paving business in Connecticut.

Henry Cooper, 40, allegedly did some driveway repair work for an older resident of Stamford, Connecticut, and on April 14 charged the man $3,600, according to Stamford police Sgt. Steven Perrotta.

The homeowner’s son thought the price was unreasonably high and approached Cooper. Cooper allegedly threatened him, and left when he was told the police would be called, according to Perrotta.

The next day, Cooper allegedly charged another Stamford resident $6,500 for some work done on that person’s driveway. The homeowner thought the sum was extremely high, and notified police, Perrotta said.

Cooper was arrested and charged with three Class C misdemeanors. The penalty for each is a jail sentence of up to three months and a fine of up to $500.

Cooper was charged with violating a condition of the Connecticut Home Solicitation Sales Act, a law that protects Connecticut residents who agree to a purchase at a location other than the business site of the seller. He was charged with violating the three-day cancellation policy under the law that allows Connecticut residents to cancel a service within three days of signing an agreement.

Cooper was also charged with failure to display a sales tax permit and failure to obtain a contractor’s license.

Perrotta said that Cooper was released after posting a $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court at 9 a.m. on April 26.

Saco Deputy Police Chief Jack Clements said there is no record of Cooper conducting any similar alleged activity in Saco.

Paving and chimney cleaning scams are two of the most common spring cleaning scams, Stamford police say.

Stamford police have advised Connecticut residents that if an unsolicited person comes to their home and offers to do patchwork on their driveway or check out their chimney, to ask to see their Consumer Protection registration card, or call police.

Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 780-9015 or at:

egotthelf@journaltribune.com