Women Imprisoned for Threatening HVAC Tech With Gun

An Indianapolis woman has been sentenced to prison after threatening an HVAC (heating and cooling) technician with a gun during a dryer repair call in March 2024. Reba L. Wilson, 45, pleaded guilty to unlawful gun possession by a serious violent felon and intimidation with a deadly weapon. A judge gave her 10 years on the gun charge and 4 years on the intimidation charge, to be served at the same time. Three other charges were dropped as part of the plea deal. She won't be eligible for release before October 2032.

The incident started over a $70 diagnostic fee. Technician Nate Baird had told Wilson her dryer needed a new thermal fuse and offered to fix it for $120. She refused to pay, and when he prepared to leave without reassembling the machine unless she paid the $70 diagnostic charge, she blocked the door with a pistol and threatened to kill him. Baird ran out the back and heard a shot fired as he fled. Police later found a shell casing on the dryer and a gun under a couch.

This is a crime story about a service call gone wrong, not a policy or program update. It doesn't change any rebate, tax credit, or repair rule that affects your own home. It's a reminder that repair calls involve real people doing a job, and disputes over fees are best worked out without threats or violence.