FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 410-576-7009
Optimum Construction, Inc., Optimum Interiors, Inc., and their Owner Entered into Home Improvement Contracts with Maryland Consumers but Failed to Finish the Work and Failed to Provide Refunds.
BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced today
that his Consumer Protection Division has issued a Final Order against Derwood-based Optimum
Construction, Inc., Optimum Interiors, Inc., and their owner, Amr “Omar” Elrahimy, for
violating the Consumer Protection Act when they promised home improvement goods and
services to Maryland consumers and took deposits and payments from consumers for those
goods and services but failed to finish their promised home improvement projects or provide
refunds.
The Consumer Protection Division’s Final Order requires Optimum Construction, Optimum
Interiors, and Elrahimy to pay restitution in the amount of at least $2,007,459.27 and penalties in
the amount of $2,452,000.00. The Final Order also prohibits Optimum Construction, Optimum
Interiors, and Elrahimy from acting as a home improvement contractor or sales representative in
Maryland unless they first post a surety bond with the Consumer Protection Division in the
amount of $1,000,000.00.
Optimum Construction, Optimum Interior and Elrahimy sent an unlicensed salesperson to
consumers’ homes, presented consumers with home improvement contracts that did not comply
with Maryland law, and promised consumers that their home improvement projects would begin
and be completed by certain deadlines. They then took deposits and payments from consumers
but failed to use consumers’ payments for the home improvement projects; rather, Elrahimy
misappropriated the consumers’ funds and used consumers’ payments to fund a lavish personal
lifestyle and for unrelated businesses. Optimum Construction, Optimum Interior and Elrahimy
repeatedly misrepresented the status of consumers’ projects, failed to complete the home
improvement projects, and ultimately failed to issue refunds.
The Office of Administrative Hearings took testimony and evidence from 20 consumers who
were victimized by Optimum Construction, Optimum Interiors, and Elrahimy. Based on the record, the Consumer Protection Division found that Optimum Construction, Optimum Interiors,
and Elrahimy repeatedly violated the Consumer Protection Act and owed these consumers at
least $2,007,459.27 for their losses.
Consumers with questions may call the Consumer Protection Division’s hotline at (410) 528-
8662.
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