A 63-year-old Schererville swimming pool contractor faces felony charges for allegedly bilking Lake County homeowners out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr.
Property owners accuse Michael Nanay of accepting hefty deposits to install in-ground swimming pools; but say he left dangerous, gaping holes in their yards and never finished the work.
Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. launched an investigation finding at least 5 property owners in Dyer, Crown Point and Schererville who say Nanay and his company, MAD Pools engaged in a string of home improvement frauds and thefts from October of 2019 until January of 2023.
“The victims say Nanay hired workers who didn’t appear to know how to do the work properly and that he promised repairs he didn’t complete,” said Oscar Martinez Jr. “He left them worse off than when they started their projects.”
“This kind of home improvement scam is unthinkable. It targets people who take pride in their property and want a job done right,” Sheriff Martinez said, “and we think there may be more victims of this company who haven’t come forward yet.”
Anyone who has agreed to have home improvement work done by MAD Pools, Michelangelo Pool Design and/or Michael A. Nanay and believes they may have been scammed should call the Lake County Sheriff’s Department Detective Bureau at (219) 755-3406.
Nanay was booked into the Lake County Jail and released on bond.
