British National in U.S. illegally scammed RI woman out of $850K

ContributorNovember 19, 20251 Mins read88

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A British national living in the U.S. illegally has been sentenced to four years in federal prison after admitting to running a multi-state construction scam that generated more than a million dollars, according to federal authorities.

As part of the sentence, a federal judge ordered Elijah Gavin to pay $1.1 million in restitution and forfeit $1 million from the profits of the operation. In a separate case, he also admitted to using false information to enter the United States.

Gavin was facing a maximum sentence of 70 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.2 million.

One of the most devastating losses occurred here in Rhode Island, where prosecutors said a 78-year-old widow was defrauded out of $850,000.

The Department of Justice in Northern Ireland has Gavin listed as “unlawfully at large” since 2022, when he went on the run after being convicted of multiple offenses, including burglary, bodily harm and drug possession. He entered the U.S. illegally to avoid jail time in his home country.

Prosecutors say this is part of what the FBI calls the “traveling conman fraud,” a scheme in which individuals from Ireland or the United Kingdom target homeowners by offering foundation or roof repairs and then sharply increasing the price after the work begins.

Traveling conman fraud scheme.

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1 Comment

Lori Sleboda says:

November 19, 2025 at 8:57 pm

Hey, this is the guy that defrauded me and my elderly mother January 2025 in Rhode Island. Him and his partner defrauded us out of almost $30,000 before we realized it was a fraud and a scam. He had people that he would hire off the street because I talked to one of the workers, is there anyway I can get in contact with somebody?

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