BAKER, La. (AP) - A Baton Rouge construction owner is facing fraud charges after authorities say he swindled several elderly Baker residents out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Baker Police Chief Mike Knapps tells local media that officers arrested 63-year-old Tanweer Bhatti on Monday for fraud and theft of assets from aged persons. Bhatti owns Southern Siding Company.

Knapps says several elderly residents reported that each of their homes was in poor condition after Bhatti’s company had done renovations on them.

The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors found in July that Bhatti had violated state law by performing contracting work over $75,000 without the required licenses. The board says his residential building contractor license expired in 2013.

It is unclear whether Bhatti has an attorney to comment on the charges.

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