Handyman from Hell gets sent to prison for embezzling from elderly victim

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Mary Lou, an 82-year old victim of convicted embezzler James Walsh, made a powerful impact statement in court.

"I confided in James as my friend, again not realizing he was the culprit who was doing this to me," she said. "He was using my credit cards, writing checks to himself, draining my retirement savings that was supposed to last a lifetime."

It was also emotional.

"This was a calculated plan to rob me of all the money I had, when I was ill and vulnerable."

And it was just plain sad.

"In one year I transferred $78,000 out of my investment account into my checking account to cover the credit card bills and the checks that were being written out by James to himself."

And how did Mary Lou's deceptive handyman respond? With goofy grins and an occasional shaking of his head.  

"He's a crook, yeah," said Mary Lou's niece Mary. "To see all this happen to her, and her lose her home, it's just heartbreaking."

We'll hear more from Mary Lou.

Rob Wolchek: "The judge called you courageous and brave and I agree with her."

"I couldn't let him get away with it," she said.

And more from the judge and maybe even from James Walsh before he's sentenced, but first, let's catch you up.

In the spring of 2023, Wolchek interviewed Mary Lou and her niece Mary.  They told him how Mary Lou was overdrawn all the time and had huge credit card bills she couldn't explain.  

Mary Lou had even confided in handyman James Walsh, who often stayed at her house taking care of her dog when she was out of town, about how she couldn't keep up with her finances all of a sudden.

Her niece Mary offered to take a look at her books and it all pointed to one person - a thief.  James Walsh was stealing from her.

"I thought he was my friend," she said.

Broke and heartbroken, Mary Lou took their findings to the police. But James Walsh had left town.

Wolchek promised Mary Lou that he would find "the handyman from hell."

But it wasn't easy. Wolchek tracked Walsh to Georgia where he was supposedly getting cancer treatments. Rob even had a fellow reporter at FOX 5 in Atlanta stake out his brother's home. But no sign of James.

Months later, Walsh's Facebook account showed he was back in Michigan at Detroit Tigers games with a Facebook friend.  

Wolchek found the Facebook friend's condo in Waterford, and his cameraman staked it out and finally, the handy-manhunt was over.  Rob has got to admit, it was pretty good sleuthing.

Wolchek was then able to confront James Walsh.

Wolchek: "So you have a warrant for four felonies, three counts of uttering and publishing and one count of embezzlement - out of Sylvan Lake."

James Walsh: "Okay, I'll have to get in touch with them then."

Wolchek: "You want to drive over there right now and turn yourself in?"

James Walsh: "Not at the moment.  I need to get going right now. I got some doctor stuff to attend."

Wolchek: "Okay, so you've been sick.  And that's all true?"

James Walsh: "Yes it is."

Wolchek: "Okay, and you didn't take her money?"

James Walsh: "No I did not.

Wolchek: "Where are you staying now?"

James Walsh: "Umm, I stay with a friend, so. I'm done right now. Thanks for letting me know."

Wolchek: "I'll see you in court."

Sylvan Lake and Waterford cops converged on James Walsh's buddy's residence and Walsh was busted - on his birthday, nonetheless.

After a month behind bars, someone bailed him out to await trial. But he couldn't stay out of trouble.

This summer, he was a no-show at a court hearing and another warrant was issued. A big, burly bails bondsman and his bounty hunters found him.

James Walsh was living at a house in West Bloomfield with another lady in her 80s. Wolchek tried to get her to talk, but she was scared.

Moments later, James Walsh came walking down the street, he'd been bailed out again.

Wolchek: "Who are you living with now? Does this lady know what you're doing?"

James Walsh: "She's a very good friend of mine. None of your business."

Last month, James Walsh pleaded no contest to four felonies related to the money he snatched from Mary Lou.

Now, it was time for his sentencing in front of Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Nanci Grant.

"If it weren't for the efforts of my niece Mary, Officer Morgan of Sylvan Lake police and Rob Wolchek at FOX 2, we would not be here today," Mary Lou said in court.

Gracious as ever, Mary Lou's victim impact statement laid it all out.

"This has deeply affected me beyond words," she said. "I could no longer afford my house in Sylvan Lake. With the little money that was left, I had to sell my home.  My family helped sell my personal belongings and moved me into an apartment in Waterford.

"I lost everything. My retirement savings, my home, I was completely devastated by all of this and I do miss my home tremendously."

Her final words to the judge cut deeply.

"He is a con! I trusted him 100 percent," said Mary Lou. "I invited him over to my house for Christmas with my family."

Related: Handy man accused of stealing from elderly woman, skips pre-trial

Then it was the handyman's turn to talk and possibly apologize.

Judge Grant: "Mr. Walsh, do you have anything to say today?"

James Walsh: "Um, under the advisement of my attorney, I have no further comment."

No further comment!?  James. You haven't made any comments at all.

Walsh's court-appointed attorney argued that his client is a first-time felon.

"It's his first felony," Judge Grant said. "You shouldn't have any felonies - and you did it to a vulnerable victim."

James' attorney says if they put Walsh behind bars, he can't make money to pay her back Mary Lou. But the judge wasn't buying it.

"He doesn't care," Judge Grant said. "He just wants the cash. If he really truly wanted to do something, he had lots of opportunities in the last year."

She sentenced Walsh to a year in Oakland County Jail.

After court, Wolchek gets a hug from Mary Lou and some words on James Walsh from her niece Mary who un-masked the crook.

"I feel like James was merciless in going after her," Mary said.

Well, this jail is James Walsh's new home. This and the Hhhhhalll of Shame!"