Alleged Bay Area tree trimming trickster arrested on dozens of fraud charges, police say he bilked one couple out of $10,000
MARTINEZ — An alleged con artist with a lengthy rap sheet is back in police custody, ending a search that spanned for months, during which time he allegedly continued to bilk elderly couples out of money.
Authorities allege that Rivas — who in 2018 was sentenced to 76 months in state prison in a similar case — made a living by posing as an honest businessman. They say he would target affluent communities, offering gardening and tree trimming services under business names like New View Tree Care, Gutierrez Tree Services, and while using the pseudonym Adam Rivas. But then he’d allegedly take the money and disappear, leaving the projects unfinished or partially completely.
A 78-year-old Contra Costa resident told authorities she lost $800 to Rivas for unfinished tree trimming, and another couple alleged they lost several thousand dollars when Rivas failed to complete upgrades that would make it easier for their daughter, who suffers from a physical disability. Rivas was back to his old tricks, authorities said. In December 2016, he was listed as a subject on the Contractors State License Board’s “Most Wanted Wednesday” feature for an active warrant involving similar allegations and a dozen Bay Area victims.
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