Two Louisiana Brothers Charged with Contractor Fraud and Other Crimes

Louisiana - Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre reported on November 4, 2022, that two brothers had been charged with contractor fraud. Following an inquiry, Clarke Lee, 44, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, and Harris Lee Jr., 38, of Opelousas, Louisiana, were both charged.

Detectives spoke with two Lafourche Parish residents in August and September 2022 who had hired "Two Brothers and a Van" or "Lee's Construction" to repair Hurricane Ida damage to their home. Residents were charged in both cases for work that was not done. In one instance, a third-party inspection decided that the work was shoddy and needed to be corrected, but the contractor refused to repair the faults. In several situations, the substandard workmanship resulted in additional damage to the homes. The contractor eventually stopped communicating with the residents.

Detectives identified the Lee brothers as suspects after conducting an investigation and discovering they did not have the necessary licensing to undertake the work at the properties. The detective then acquired arrest warrants for both of them.

Harris Lee Jr. surrendered to the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux on September 20, 2022. He was charged with contractor fraud on one count. He was released after posting bail of $20,000.00.

Clarke Lee was arrested in St. Martin Parish on October 27, 2022, and taken to Lafourche Parish. At the time, he was charged with two charges of contractor fraud as well as contempt of court. Since then, another victim has come forward with similar reports as the first two. Clarke Lee was charged with an extra count of contractor fraud on November 3, bringing the total to three charges. His bail is set at $96,220.50 dollars. In addition, he is being held for Houma City Court for failure to return a leased movable object.

Anyone who engaged the Lee brothers or one of the aforementioned companies and had work done improperly should contact the Lafourche Parish Criminal Investigations Division at (985) 532-4320.

An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. A person is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.