Irish brothers sentenced to prison in Seattle court for scamming elderly homeowners

Two brothers from Ireland are going to prison for defrauding elderly homeowners throughout the country, including several in the Pacific Northwest.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, 35-year-old Patrick McDonagh and 34-year-old Matthew McDonagh will spend 18 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their theft of more than $400,000 from a Shoreline homeowner.

The brothers were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in mid-June and were charged federally in mid-July, U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman stated. The pair pleaded guilty in September 2024.

“According to records filed in the case, the brothers were part of a group that traveled the country scamming homeowners – especially the elderly – by falsely representing a home needed urgent repairs,” the release stated.

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Shoreline homeowner tricked into paying for unnecessary work

Attorneys said the men approached a Shoreline homeowner in January 2024 and claimed they were working in the neighborhood and noticed he “had a hole in his roof.” They then offered to fix the hole and remove moss from the roof. However, over the next few days, the men pressured the homeowner into writing checks for their “services” of $15,000, $20,000 and $26,000. They also claimed the homeowner’s foundation was cracked and they would repair it with a “titanium tie rod system,” the release stated.

It was later revealed there was no hole in the roof and the foundation was not failing, however, the men had dug trenches and poured concrete to make it look like work had been done. Attorneys said each day they pressured the homeowner to write more checks, even demanding an extra $20,000 for “taxes.”

According to the release, the brothers ultimately demanded the homeowner wire $200,000 to a third party for “building supplies.” In total, the brothers stole $435,000 from the homeowner.

“They were aggressive, relentless in their pursuit of more and more money,” the homeowner said in court Monday. “They preyed on my trust and my faith …. I feel ashamed, frustrated and betrayed and now I don’t trust others.”

An investigation by the FBI connected the brothers to fraud complaints in Oregon and Illinois. The release stated in Oregon, Patrick McDonagh told three different homeowners he was affiliated with a local legitimate construction firm. The homeowners paid as much as $29,000 for so-called foundation work that was never finished.

In Illinois, a similar scenario happened but Matthew McDonagh claimed he would repave a homeowner’s driveway and build a retaining wall. That homeowner ended up paying $75,000 for shoddy work that damaged the home.

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Brothers agree to pay back homeowners after scamming elderly

Attorneys said the defendants agreed to restitution — including $235,000 to the Shoreline homeowner, nearly $50,000 to the three in Oregon, $75,000 to the Illinois homeowner and more than $673,000 to a homeowner in Bellevue.

“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,” Gorman stated, via the release. “In Washington State last year our elderly were defrauded of some $88 million. Our elder fraud prosecutors are doing all they can to hold fraudsters accountable.”

The FBI is reminding the public to be aware of red flags when it comes to contractors such as a contractor knocking on the door looking for business because they are “in the area” and using aggressive sales tactics, pressuring an immediate hiring decision, only accepting cash and demanding full payment before any work or claiming to have materials left over from a previous job.

Homeowners are advised to get multiple estimates for work they want done and to ensure contractors are licensed and insured via Washington State’s Department of Labor and Industries website. Residents can also check with consumer protection agencies such as the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission for complaints against a contractor.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.