Fall River man sentenced to prison in kitchen hood cleaning scam

A Fall River man will serve prison time for a commercial hood cleaning scam targeting local restaurants, the Bristol County prosecutor said Wednesday.

Antonio Borges, former owner of Borges Cleaning Pro, was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with one year of probation that would kick in if he is arrested for anything else in the next two years.

Complaints filed between April 2022 and October 2023 indicate that Borges defrauded Bristol County restaurants by posing as a certified grease hood cleaner when he was not certified, District Attorney Thomas Quinn’s office said in a statement. His license was permanently revoked in September 2022 after an investigation revealed that Borges had conducted fraudulent inspections at at least seven Fall River establishments, two in Westport and one in New Bedford, the prosecutor said.

“The defendant deceived unsuspecting restaurant owners by posing as a licensed hood cleaner while his license was suspended,” Quinn said. “Not only was this fraudulent, but he created a significant fire hazard that could have resulted in death or serious injury to employees, customers and firefighters.”

A dirty grease hood can cause a dangerous grease fire, damage kitchen equipment and lead to poor air quality.