Toccoa Man Charged in Franklin County with Operating Fake Repair Business

A Toccoa man is being held in the Habersham County jail with a hold on him for Franklin County after running a fake electrical repair company.

According to Franklin County Sheriff Steve Thomas 30-year old Michael Dean Bledsoe ran M&B Service and Repair and was able to scam a number of Franklin County residents out of thousands of dollars in fake repairs.

Thomas said it started in January when his office initiated an investigation into complaints from several Franklin County residents

In those complaints residents said that they had paid thousands of dollars to M&B Service and Repair for Electrical repair services that were not performed.

During the investigation, his officers found that personal checks had been stolen from some of the victims and later forged and passed at local banks in Franklin County.

In one scam, victims were allegedly told by Bledsoe that they needed new water pumps when he had actually turned off their water.

Once they paid him, the water was turned back on.

In another scam Bledsoe allegedly disconnected the power to a victim’s home.

The Sheriff said he then told the homeowner their generator’s motor needed to be replaced.

Once the victim paid Bledsoe turned the power back on.

In other scams, Sheriff Thomas said Bledsoe told victims their homes had to be rewired after he used black spray paint to spray fake burn marks around wiring, took photos of the fake burn marks and then showed the victims to prove they needed to rewire their house.

In those cases the victims paid up front but the work was never done.

Thomas said Bledsoe allegedly installed Electrical panels were installed in homes but they were never connected to any wiring inside the home.

According to Thomas Franklin County residents who were victims of Bledsoe’s scams have lost over $45,000.00 dollars to date.

In Franklin County Bledsoe is charged with 1 Count of Forgery, and 3 Counts of Felony Theft by Deception and the investigation is continuing.

Bledsoe is currently be housed in the Habersham County Detention Center, with holds placed on him from surrounding Counties for similar offenses in those jurisdictions.

According to reports Bledsoe was arrested in July 2020 in White County on charges of theft by deception and in Stephens County in 2016 on theft charges.

If you believe you have been a victim of M&B Service and Repair you can call the Franklin County Sheriff’s office at 706-384-2525 or your local Sheriff’s office.