A San Lorenzo man accused of draining an elderly Half Moon Bay couple of more than $2.5 million has pleaded not guilty, setting up a long legal fight over what exactly happened behind the gates of a rural Coastside home.
Prosecutors say 52-year-old John Wilson, an unlicensed contractor, showed up at the couple’s remote property in 2024, knocked on their door, and launched into months of home repairs that would later raise red flags.
Prosecutors’ account
San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said a neighbor who was helping the couple with their taxes uncovered 57 checks totaling about $2.9 million in March 2025. The homeowners are 92 and 82, and Wagstaffe said they had cognitive issues at the time.
The California Contractors State License Board later estimated the value of the work at roughly $217,350. Wilson has been charged with theft by false pretenses and other counts. He entered a not-guilty plea at arraignment and is scheduled to return to court on June 15, according to SFGATE.
How these schemes often work
Advocates say the alleged pattern here will sound familiar to anyone who works in elder protection: an unsolicited knock on the door, an offer to fix something that really shouldn’t wait, and then a blur of repeat visits, new add-ons, and shifting invoices that quietly balloon the bill…