Snow removal contractor accused of targeting the elderly appears in court

MILWAUKEE -- A former Minnesota congressional candidate is charged with swindling dozens in southeast Wisconsin and his alleged victims include many he once vowed to protect.

Matthew Erickson is accused of a nationwide scheme that preyed on the elderly.

Erickson, of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, faces 22 counts of theft in Milwaukee County alone.

Matthew Erickson in Milwaukee County court

A criminal complaint says he contracted with victims for snow removal services he had no intention of providing under the company name, "Snow Angels."

The Wisconson Attorney General's Office says Erickson left 28 victims out in the cold last winter in Wisconsin -- many of them over 60 years old.

Erickson was a 2016 congressional candidate in Minnesota. In a campaign advertisement, he spoke about protecting seniors.

"Our motto is: Build America first. We are going to build the wall. We are going to take care of our seniors and our veterans before illegal aliens," Erickson said in the ad.

He took 4th place in the primary.

Matthew Erickson was a 2016 Minnesota congressional candidate.

The AG's office now says Erickson victimized at least 130 people in nine states.

Appearing in Waukesha County court on five charges in June, Erickson's attorney at the time, Rick Chiapete, said Erickson didn't intend to steal. He just wasn't a savvy businessman.

Matthew Erickson

"He clearly targeted a vulnerable segment of the population here," Chiapete said in June. "He took in money, he wasn't able to provide the service that was contracted for."

If convicted in Milwaukee County, Erickson faces up to 90 years in prison. In Waukesha County, he faces another 14 years.

Charges are expected in other states.