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Hernando Today

U.S. Air Employees Choose Supervision Over Trial

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: January 30, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Three men accused of bilking their senior customers for unnecessary air conditioning repairs were diverted into a supervised release program on Thursday.

William Millett, Stanley Lachowicz and Steven Buhler were scheduled for trial Monday on charges of exploitation of the elderly and grand theft.

Instead, they signed up for pre-trial intervention, which essentially clears their name if they stay out of trouble for a year. As a condition of their PTI, they can't fix any air conditioners for a year in Hernando County.

Hernando Today was contacted by numerous people following a report on the suspects' arrest last March. An investigative series uncovered similar complaints about New Port Richey-based U.S. Heating and Air Conditioning and led, in part, to Millett's arrest.

On Thursday, Assistant State Attorney Rob Lewis defended the outcome of the cases, saying much of it had to do with the victims' wishes.

"They just didn't want to be bothered anymore by U.S. Air," he said.

The case ran into some difficulties because it was hard at times for the older victims to recall events from six to nine months ago during depositions, Lewis said.

It also required other air conditioning companies to inspect the units and declare that the suspects were negligent in their actions. That opens the door for the defense to argue that the competition has a vested interest in making U.S. Air look bad, Lewis said.

A fourth suspect in the arrest, Dennis Garlock, has already taken the PTI option.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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