Two Irish brothers have been sentenced to 18 months in prison by a U.S. District Court in Seattle for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, involving the theft of over $400,000 from elderly homeowners across the United States. Patrick McDonagh, 35, and Matthew McDonagh, 34, were arrested in June and charged in July. They pleaded guilty in September.
U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced the sentencing and highlighted the severity of their actions. "The defendants in this case preyed on our elderly neighbors – coming into their homes and peddling lies about repairs that seemed urgent so that the homeowner would write whatever checks were needed to preserve their homes," said Gorman.
Court records indicate that the brothers targeted elderly homeowners by falsely claiming urgent home repairs were necessary. One victim from Shoreline, Washington, lost approximately $435,000 to their scheme after being convinced his roof had a hole and his foundation required repair with a "titanium tie rod system." Despite no actual damage existing, the brothers demanded checks for various services and even requested an additional $20,000 for "taxes."
Further investigation linked the McDonaghs to contractor fraud complaints in Oregon and Illinois. In Oregon, Patrick misrepresented himself as part of a legitimate construction firm and received payments for incomplete work. In Illinois, Matthew's work was substandard despite receiving significant payment.
Restitution has been agreed upon by the defendants: $235,000 to the Shoreline victim; nearly $50,000 to three victims in Oregon; $75,000 to an Illinois victim; and over $673,000 to another victim in Bellevue.
The FBI conducted this investigation with assistance from local law enforcement agencies including Shoreline Police Department and U.S. Border Patrol’s Anti-Smuggling Units.
A statement from one of their victims reflects deep betrayal: “They were aggressive... I feel ashamed... betrayed... now I don’t trust others.”
The FBI reminds individuals about red flags indicating potential contractor fraud such as aggressive sales tactics or demands for immediate decisions without proper verification.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar is prosecuting this case as part of her role focusing on criminal elder fraud coordination.
For more information on protecting against elder fraud visit the Elder Justice Initiative page online.
