Flomaton man jailed for theft

A Flomaton man was arrested for theft charging him with defrauding an East Brewton man out of more than $10,000 by taking payment to repair roof damage after the June 19, 2021 tornado, but as of last week he had not replaced one single.

Kenneth Higdon, Jr., 51, with addresses listed on Sue Street and Wolf Log Road in Flomaton, was charged with theft of property I.

Higdon was also out on bond in similar cases in Covington and Baldwin counties where he is accused of getting money up front and not doing the work.

East Brewton Police Chief Kenny Brazille said the victim talked to a roofing contruction firm named Circle H Construction, which was operated by Higdon, about repairs to his roof. Brazille said Higdon gave an estimate of $10,601 to do repairs to the roof on the damaged house.

Brazille said the victim's insurance company paid the claim and a check was given to Higdon in October. Brazille said Higdon has not made any repairs to the victim's home. He said attempts to get Higdon to either repair the roof or return the money failed and warrants were filed for his arrest and Higdon was arrested last Wednesday.

Court records show Higdon was on bond in Covington County for a similar incident where he received money for repairs and never did the job. He was also out on bond in Baldwin County for theft by deception for failing to do work after being paid.

Escambia County District Judge Eric Coale set Higdon's bond at $20,000 on the latest charge involving the East Brewton resident.

Chief Brazille issued a warning to citizens to be prudent when hiring people to do work on their homes.

"Immediately after the tornado, East Brewton was flooded with people claiming to be roof repairmen and tree or debris cleanup teams," Brazille said. "Most of these subjects were operating without city licenses."

"Cities have protocols in place to protect its citizens from individuals who are storm chasing to take advantage of victims who have lost or have damaged homes. The public needs to check before they hire or pay companies for this type of work to save themselves from more heartache on top of an already devastating situation that they are in.

Brazille recommended people check with their local authorities before signing a contract or authorizing repairs or cleanup.

He recommends to call you local town hall or police office if you have any questions.