Convicted GTA renovations scammer dodges jail

He defrauded consumers in Toronto and Barrie and is accused of scamming others: 29-year-old Evgeni Ostrovski had a way of convincing customers to give him upfront deposits toward renovation projects.

“He was a smooth talker,” said Taisia Gerasimova, who adds she’s usually careful about choosing service providers, but Ostrovski’s demeanour made her drop her guard.

“I don’t know — it was very easy for me to part with the money,” said Gerasimova, who paid $3750 to Ostrovski for some interior renovations to her home. He took the money but didn’t do any real work.

It was a similar story for Victoria Khalil, a chartered professional accountant, who paid $1600 for some inside home repairs. She, too got nothing in return.

“I definitely think he was a professional scammer — all his moves were calculated,” Khalil told Global News during an investigation that examined Ostrovski’s marketing over several weeks in 2016.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I definitely think he was a professional scammer — all his moves were calculated," Khalil told Global News during an investigation that examined Ostrovski's marketing over several weeks in 2016.

Steven Morrison, another client of Ostrovski’s, paid more than $2500 toward the cost of a new outdoor deck.

For weeks, police told unhappy customers the issue was a “civil matter” and declined to lay criminal charges. Eventually, in June 28, 2016, Ostrovski was arrested in Toronto and charged with fraud under $5000, forgery and uttering forged documents.

Ostrovski pleaded guilty to fraud charges in Barrie in January of this year. He was convicted, given a 12-month suspended sentence and placed on probation for a year.

READ MORE: Toronto contractor faces charges after taking deposits, not doing promised work

The Toronto charges were resolved Tuesday when Ostrovski pleaded guilty. He was convicted and handed another 12-month suspended sentence. Again, he was placed on probation for a year.

Among the conditions of probation, Ostrovski is expected to “keep the peace and be of good behaviour.”

He’s also required to pay Gerasimova $312.50 a month in restitution.

Ostrovski also faces criminal charges in Burlington related to the cases involving Morrison and Khalil.

But so far, the Russian-born convicted scammer has escaped prison time, even though he has a previous weapons conviction.

“I think he deserves to go to jail,” Gerasimova said. “He doesn’t give a damn about being a responsible member of society.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think he deserves to go to jail," Gerasimova said. "He doesn't give a damn about being a responsible member of society."

Asked if she’s concerned that Ostrovski will re-offend, Gerasimova didn’t hesitate to answer.

“I’m afraid he will — it’s very unfortunate.”

—With files from Alana MacLeod