An elderly, physically disabled Unity woman was duped into paying a Latrobe couple $8,100 for home repairs that were not completed, state police said.

Sean Lewis Hurley, 26, of 23 E. Fourth Ave., Latrobe, is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bond on charges of deceptive business practices and theft.

Hurley is accused of conning the 81-year-old deaf-mute woman multiple times between Sept. 21 and 29.

Charges are pending against an alleged accomplice, Nicole Dudek, who lives at the same address. Police affidavits said she sometimes uses the name Nicole Long.

State police Trooper John Zalich alleges in an affidavit of probable cause that the couple and a third man showed up at the victim's residence on Frye Farm Road on Sept. 21 and offered to make home repairs. Police said Hurley and Dudek operate H&H Contracting, a home remodeling firm, which is not incorporated in Pennsylvania and does not have a business license.

Zalich said in the affidavit that the two asked the woman about sealing her driveway and house repairs.

"The victim is deaf and communicated with the defendant using notes on paper. The work on Sept. 21 consisted of sealing the driveway and trimming the bushes," Zalich alleges. "However, the trimming of bushes proved to be the snapping off of branches by hand and letting them lay where they fell."

At an unspecified later date, police allege Hurley told the victim her roof needed to be repaired "and that it would not be cheap to fix it," Zalich said. Dudek twice accompanied the victim to her bank to withdraw money for the roof repair, which was never done, police allege.

Police were tipped off to the matter in early October when the victim's sister discovered notes the woman had written the defendants about the repairs, including one stating that the two needed $6,000 in advance for roofing materials. Police said the victim's sister, who lives in Derry Township, "regularly checks on her sister's personal matters making sure they are in order."

Police subsequently determined the victim had written at least two checks totalling $8,100. Police found an H&H business card that carried a telephone number. Trooper Seth Helman called the number and spoke with a woman who identified herself as Nicole Long, Zalich said.

"She said she was borrowing Sean's phone because her phone is broken," Zalich wrote in the affidavit.

Long told Helman she did not know Hurley's whereabouts. On Oct. 4, Zalich went to Hurley and Dudek's business address.

"I confronted Nicole about the situation, and she provided little to no information. Nicole slammed the door in my face and provided no further comment," Zalich wrote.

Zalich said he later learned that Nicole's last name is Dudek, and she was using a different last name and Social Security number.

Three days later, Zalich received a telephone call from Hurley, who told him, "This whole situation is a misunderstanding, that he has all the victim's money." Later in the day, Hurley told Zalich that "he needed time to get the money together."

Zalich said Hurley agreed to go to the police barracks in Hempfield on Oct. 13. Hurley did not show up and later called to say he was in Virginia.

Police apprehended Hurley in Latrobe Monday. He was arraigned before Derry District Judge Mark Bilik. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled before Unity Township District Judge Michael Mahady.

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