Deported Irish National Returns to Scam Seattle Homeowners as Part of Transnational 'Traveling Conmen' Ring

A KING 5 investigation has identified Bernard 'Bernie' McDonagh, 42, as the man known as 'Brian' who approached Seattle homeowners for chimney and roofing work, only to inflate costs dramatically after starting jobs. McDonagh was deported by ICE to Ireland on July 16, 2025, after an arrest in Boston, but returned within five months to resume operations, according to the station's reporting corroborated by DHS. One victim, David Diedrick, saw a small chimney repair quote balloon from under $5,000 to $22,000 after unnecessary demolition. Another lost nearly $200,000, with the crew changing business names mid-job from TrueCraft Masonry to Flex Roofing and Repairs. McDonagh has not faced U.S. charges in this case and did not respond to inquiries.

McDonagh fits into a larger pattern recognized by federal authorities as the 'Traveling Conmen Fraud Group,' a transnational organized crime network of Irish and UK nationals who enter illegally or overstay visas to target homeowners with fraudulent repair pitches. The FBI's Terrorist Screening Center has flagged the group, with losses estimated in the tens of millions nationwide. KING 5 spoke with 50 victims in the Seattle area alone; similar crews fled after local reporting in Bellevue. Related cases include Irish national John O'Brien, sentenced in April 2026 to 56 months in prison for defrauding Rhode Island and Massachusetts homeowners of over $1.5 million through identical tactics, including exploiting shared Irish heritage with victims. O'Brien is expected to be deported post-sentence. In Washington, brothers Patrick and Matthew McDonagh (possibly connected through the same networks) were sentenced in December 2024 to 18 months each for wire fraud conspiracy targeting elderly victims across multiple states, with over $1 million in restitution ordered.

DHS investigations into the Seattle cases are ongoing, with officials noting the need for thorough evidence before prosecution. No arrests have been reported in the McDonagh-linked Seattle incidents as of the latest KING 5 updates. The pattern underscores challenges in preventing re-entry and disrupting rotating crews that impersonate legitimate contractors.