Caddo deputies have arrested a Shreveport man for defrauding a couple who paid him to work on a relative’s home, said Sheriff Steve Prator.                                               

In February, the couple hired Dale Mitchell, 43, to repair a residence on Josey Circle.  The home had been damaged in a house fire in August, 2016.  The couple made an initial payment of $2,200. Mitchell performed a limited amount of work on the residence and failed to obtain a work permit.  The residence was then demolished in May by the City of Shreveport, causing further loss to the couple’s family. 

An investigation by Sheriff’s Detective Jeremy Edward determined Mitchell did not have a license with the Louisiana State Licensing Board of Contractors. He was arrested for home improvement fraud and booked into the Caddo Correctional Center.