Police: Lynn man hired by couple to redo floor stole their television

LYNN – Lynn Police arrested a Lynn man Friday after he allegedly scammed a local couple who hired him to replace their kitchen floor and stole from them while they were on vacation, according to a Lynn Police incident report.Christopher Landry, 33, of 151 Verona St., Lynn, was charged with multiple counts of larceny after he failed to complete contracted flooring work for Patrick McNulty, 64, and Maureen McNulty, 59, also of Lynn.The couple had been on vacation since Jan. 14 and returned on Jan. 28 to find that their floor had not been replaced, the old floor tile remained in a pile in the kitchen and their 47-inch television was missing, along with other items, according to the report. They told authorities they gave Landry a key to their house after police determined there was no sign of forced entry.Patrick McNulty told officers he paid Landry $1,350 upfront for the work and they had not spoken to Landry since Jan. 14 because he never answered his phone, according to the report.Landry had previously done work for the couple, the report said.Investigators determined that Landry had recently sold items at an area pawn shop and had received over $500 for jewelry and $700 for silverware, all items matching descriptions provided by the McNultys. The report said that Landry had contacted the couple last week and told them he was “embarrassed” because he had “subcontracted the job out” to a person from New Hampshire.But the missing items had been pawned in Landry?s name, according to the report, a fact verified by copies of the driver license he presented during the transactions.In an interview with Lynn Police Friday, Landry acknowledged that he had entered into an agreement with the homeowners to remove a ceramic tile floor from the kitchen and replace it with a wood floor, but said that after removing some of the original flooring, he had a “back issue and decided he could not finish the floor in a manner consistent with his normal quality of work,” and decided to subcontract it to a man he knew was looking for work.Landry told police he kept up with the man?s progress on the job, but did not go back to the home and that the house key “showed up one day in his truck” without him knowing how it got there.The report said police encouraged Landry to tell the truth, and he “became very evasive and nervous” but refused to tell police where the rest of the stolen property was.Police arrested him following the interview, and charged him with three counts of larceny over $250 and one count of larceny by false premises for the unfinished flooring job.Judge James LaMothe released Landry on personal recognizance with orders that he stay away from the McNultys and remain drug and alcohol free, and comply with random drug screenings until his next court date, scheduled for March 26.Taylor Provost can be reached at [email protected].