Santa Rosa contractor cleared by District Attorney in elder fraud case

Anthony Irvin was just trying to help.

The longtime Santa Rosa contractor was called in last year to clean up what investigators have described as a home improvement scam targeting elderly customers.

He came in behind two other contractors to try to make repairs and bring shoddy renovations up to code. He even sought advice from lawyers, pointing out what he suspected was a case of elder fraud.

But when criminal charges finally came down in April, Irvin, 51, was arrested and accused of wrongdoing.

On Tuesday, prosecutors recognized the error, dropping all charges against him.

“Tony got swept up in the whole mess,” said his lawyer Ben Adams. “Not only is he innocent of all charges, he’s the good guy in this scenario.”

Prosecutor Carla Rodriguez confirmed Irvin was blameless in a case that netted two other contractors about $800,000 and involved up to 10 victims.

Rodriguez said evidence including emails shows Irvin was actually trying to help a west Santa Rosa couple whose home failed city inspections and was nearly uninhabitable after extensive work.

“The emails I got negated the malicious intent needed for criminal charges,” the prosecutor said.

Charges remain pending against Tony Goodwin, 44, of Forestville and Samuel Williams, 36, of Santa Rosa. A preliminary hearing is set for July 27.

Meanwhile, Irvin is trying to rebuild his business, AJI Construction, and his life after being hit with the criminal allegations.

His phone stopped ringing and clients canceled jobs. Recently, he was forced to consult a bankruptcy attorney, Adams said.

It’s a cruel twist considering Irvin was trying to do the right thing all along and had 16 years of good reviews behind him, Adams said.

“It’s been brutal,” Adams said. “His whole life has been turned upside down.”

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 707-568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.