Police look for man accused of elder fraud

Huntington Beach police are still seeking the whereabouts of an Iranian man accused of committing elder fraud.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for Masoud Tabeshnekoo, 48, who also goes by Matthew Nekoo.

Police say he is wanted for swindling an elderly Huntington Beach woman who hired him for work that was never completed.

In December 2006, police say, the woman responded to a radio commercial for Hollow Brick Inc. to have some work done at her home. Tabeshnekoo, police allege, met with the woman, who was 73 at the time, and made a verbal agreement for a two-week project that would cost the victim $60,000.

Police say Tabeshnekoo told the woman she had to pay him $35,000 within two weeks of the verbal agreement before his company completed any work.

He had no license to perform the work and hired unlicensed workers to begin demolition at the home, police said.

When city inspectors noticed that work was being conducted at the residence, they found upon an inspection that the work was “grossly out of compliance with building codes,” police said.

After the inspectors shut down the work, Tabeshnekoo is accused of leaving the home, which was in an uninhabitable state.

Anyone with information on Tabeshnekoo’s whereabouts is asked to call Det. Larry Pitcher at (714) 536-5959 or Sgt. Greg Davis at (714) 536-5948.

— Candice Baker