An Ottawa contractor who used multiple aliases to defraud elderly homeowners out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has pleaded guilty to 13 provincial fraud charges.

Michael Alivisatos, 53, of Ottawa, was handed a sentence of 140 days for misrepresentation under Ontario's Consumer Protection Act.

Michael Alivisatos, shown in a home video, has pleaded guilty to 13 provincial fraud charges and must repay close to $200,000. (CBC)

He pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding 13 clients — mostly elderly homeowners — of about $200,000.

Police had spent years investigating Alivisatos for using aliases and setting up phantom renovating companies. Clients complained Alivisatos demanded large amounts of money up front and then disappeared doing little or none of the work.

Among the companies Alivisatos operated were Alma Construction, Altos Home Improvements, Bryter Construction, Claremont Construction and Chelsea Construction, the court heard.

Among the aliases he used were Nick Santos, George Spencer, Nicholas McKenna and Greg Hamlin.

Time to be served concurrently with criminal sentence

Alivisatos is currently in jail for breaching conditions of a conditional sentence handed down last September after he pleaded guilty to criminal charges of fraud related to his contracting business.

The court said he would serve the time for the provincial offences concurrently, meaning he is scheduled to be released in December.

Under the conditions of his sentence, over the next year he is prohibited from engaging or soliciting any work in the home-renovating business, forbidden from distributing business cards or promotional material except under his own name and he is prohibited from contacting a former associate.

Bilked homeowners upset with sentence

Ellen Heide lost $62,000 to Alivisatos, who was operating as a contractor with Alma Construction at the time in 2009.

She said she is disappointed with the sentence.

Henry Beissel paid $4,800 to a contractor who gave the name Greg Hamlin in 2010. Beissel later cancelled the deal but lost his money. (CBC)

"I'm very disappointed," said Heide. "He can do all this again to other people in a year's time."

Alivisatos has been ordered to pay back his victims and his lawyer, Mark Ertel, said he intends to do so.

"He feels an obligation to pay the money back and his plan is to get back to work in another industry and try and repay the money he owes," said Ertel.

Henry Beissel hired Alivisatos — who called himself Greg Hamlin with Claremont Construction — in 2010 to build a new deck.

Beissel said he and his wife paid out $4,800 as a down payment for work after what he described as the contractor's pressure tactics. They lost their money.

Beissel said he does not expect he will ever get his money back from Alivisatos.

"I will do for as long as I live ... do what I can to put him out of business," said Beissel. "He's cheated people out of 50, $100,000. That's appalling."