Documented cases of contractor fraud, homeowner non-payment, and what structural protection could have prevented.
During the pandemic pool boom, Plymouth contractor Steven Docchio collected more than $500,000 from Massachusetts homeowners with unrealistic timelines and false promises, then abandoned projects. In November 2025 he pleaded guilty to four counts of larceny and was sentenced to state prison.
Charles Ray Workman promised Twin Cities families concrete swimming pools, collected hundreds of thousands in down payments, then abandoned the jobs while spending the money on gambling, child support, and a horse. He was sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1.15 million in restitution.
New Hampshire home improvement contractor Jason Tessier took a $108,000 prepayment to rebuild a Manchester homeowner's house after it burned down. Instead of doing the work, he stole $60,563 and was sentenced to 2½ to 7 years in state prison.
New Jersey police say Kevin O. Crafton, a foreman for LDC Design & Construction, defrauded two Brigantine homeowners of more than $361,000 by inventing permit costs, geotechnical testing, legal fees and fines. Investigators say he even impersonated engineers, city officials and an attorney by phone — a decade after a prior fraud conviction.
Stratham contractor Gerard Thibault took more than $2.4 million in advance payments from 23 New Hampshire homeowners and never did the work. He gambled customer money away — sometimes soliciting new payments while actively gambling — and drew a 10-to-30-year prison sentence.
Merrill "Bud" Miller, owner of HFDH LLC, collected home-improvement deposits from homeowners across York, Lancaster, and Dauphin counties and abandoned or never started the work. He pleaded guilty in York County in August 2025 while the Pennsylvania Attorney General moved to revoke his registration and recover restitution.
New York State Police charged James S. Johnson Jr. with felony grand larceny after he took a $10,000 deposit to build a wheelchair-access tram at a lakefront home and never lifted a finger. Investigators say the money went to retail stores, gas stations, and hotels instead.
Portland contractor Tim Galvez took large upfront deposits from at least 16 Maine homeowners for home renovations he abandoned or never started, collectively costing them more than $380,000. He pleaded guilty to felony theft in June 2026 and was ordered to pay over $397,000 in restitution.
Contractor Jeremy Bowen took deposits for inground pools and other projects across 13 contracts in Delaware's Kent and Sussex counties, then never completed the work. He was ordered to pay roughly $270,000 in restitution and sentenced to prison, with many victims being seniors.
Spencer Calvert, owner of Florida's Pineapple Corporation, abandoned custom home projects in St. Johns County's Nocatee community, pocketing deposits and stiffing subcontractors. He was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay more than $8.7 million in restitution to 15 victims.
Nevada prosecutors charged three men tied to GC Construction and Golden Hammer LV with felony fraud and theft after homeowners cumulatively lost hundreds of thousands of dollars on renovations that were never completed. The company's license had already been revoked before the charges came down.
Maryland's Attorney General ordered Optimum Construction and owner Amr "Omar" Elrahimy to pay more than $4.5 million after they took deposits from homeowners but never finished the promised work. Regulators found Elrahimy diverted customer payments to fund a lavish personal lifestyle and unrelated businesses.
Boise-area contractor Seth Wooddell, owner of Idaho Decks & Exteriors, was arrested on three felony grand theft counts after allegedly taking deposits and failing to complete projects. Alleged victims say the losses and the pattern of broken promises reach far beyond the three charged counts.
Jared Wyllie of Pottstown, PA operated as PROjex, LLC, using another contractor's license to sign up four homeowners and pocket more than $156,000 in upfront payments. One victim paid over $108,000 and had to sell her gutted home at a loss before Wyllie was sentenced to state prison.
Jon Thomas Banning, owner of JTB Landscaping, was sentenced to four to ten years in prison after taking more than $308,000 in deposits for pool and landscaping projects he never finished. Many of his victims were seniors who never got their money back.
Linda Kim Brown allegedly took more than half a million dollars in deposits from three Western Washington homeowners for remodels she never started. Prosecutors say she pocketed the money, delayed for over a year, and hid $1.5 million in income from tax authorities.
Gerard Michael Healey, owner of Pinnacle Metal Roofing in Meredith, NH, took $212,394 in deposits from 23 homeowners for roofing work he never performed. It was his second offense — 19 of the thefts violated a consent judgment he'd already signed with the state.
Newfane contractor Nathaniel Wagner took large upfront deposits from more than a dozen Western New York homeowners, then spent the money on personal expenses instead of building the barns, garages, and decks he promised. He was sentenced to four to eight years in prison and ordered to repay over $453,000.
Christopher and Raquelle Judge marketed their company Judge DFW as a one-stop custom home shop, but federal prosecutors say they abandoned projects after collecting millions in installment payments. More than 40 North Texas homeowners were left with unfinished homes and roughly $4.8 million in losses.
Avi Schwalb, owner of Schwalb Builders, was convicted on 47 felony counts and sentenced to 10 years for a home-remodeling scheme that took over $1.4 million from Denver-area homeowners. Many families paid large deposits only to see projects abandoned after demolition, leaving their homes damaged and uninhabitable.
Two Omaha-area contractors collected deposits from homeowners for siding and roofing repairs after severe storms, then failed to complete the work or return the money. Authorities charged both after victims came forward with losses.
After Hurricane Michael devastated Florida's Panhandle in 2018, desperate homeowners handed deposits to contractors promising rebuilds. Many were left with unfinished shells, drained savings, and no recourse as storm-chasing operators collected cash and moved on.
Vision Solar collected thousands from Georgia and multi-state homeowners for rooftop solar installations that were never completed or connected to the grid. Customers were left paying loans on systems that produced no power.
Edson Lins, an unlicensed Centerville, Utah contractor, collected large deposits for home construction and remodeling projects, then failed to complete the work, leaving families out hundreds of thousands of dollars. State prosecutors charged him with multiple felony counts after homeowner complaints mounted.
Chad E. Smith, a Wichita-area contractor, collected large deposits from homeowners for remodeling and construction projects, then failed to complete the work or refund the money. He was convicted on 25 counts and ordered to pay over $500,000 in restitution.
Construction Kings, based in Bonney Lake, Washington, collected large deposits for home renovation and construction projects, then failed to complete the work. State regulators, local police, and a multistate federal probe pursued the case after 26 or more homeowners reported losses.
Rick McDermott's Aqua Blue Pools collected large deposits from homeowners across metro Atlanta but left projects unfinished or never started. Prosecutors charged him after families across multiple counties lost their money to abandoned pool construction contracts.
After California's devastating wildfires, the Contractors State License Board conducted sting operations that caught dozens of unlicensed operators targeting displaced homeowners. Many demanded illegal upfront deposits before vanishing or performing dangerous, substandard work.
Following Hurricane Ian's destruction, a wave of fraudulent roofing contractors targeted Southwest Florida homeowners — taking money upfront and vanishing before a single shingle was laid.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, unlicensed contractors swept through Houston collecting deposits for repairs they never intended to complete. The pattern — and what escrow would have changed.
Use structural protection from the start. Submit your project and get matched with contractors who work within an escrow framework.