The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A man who worked as a manager for a cabinet store in northeast Florida was arrested on several charges after collecting payments from multiple customers for cabinetry work that he reportedly never performed and spent the money himself.
According to reports, a few months ago, the General Crimes Unit of the Palm Beach Police Department opened an investigation when they learned that the manager of Oceanside Cabinets was reported for accepting money from several customers but failed to follow through with the work. The people who called them said the business was permanently closed, and they could not contact the contractor. The police heard from ten families who said they hired the man for cabinetry services. They reported giving him the money upfront, but he never did the work.
One family, who said they paid the man $8,000, reported that when they tried to get updates about the status of the work he was supposed to do, he told them each time that the cabinets needed to be ordered. They said it cost them an extra $11,000 since it held up the construction on their new home, and forced them to pay for alternate housing since they could not move in.
When the authorities began investigating the potentially fraudulent activity, they reportedly uncovered multiple things that led them to believe the 45-year-old committed the theft crimes. They reported that they tracked $96,098.50 in cash advances at casinos, and they believed it was the money he received from the alleged victims.
On January 16, the suspect was taken into custody by officers from the Palm Beach Police Department and booked into the Brevard County Jail. He is facing multiple preliminary charges including 9 counts of grand theft (over $5,000 and under $10,000), larceny from persons over 65 years of age (over $300 and under $10,000), obtaining property over $50,000, and 10 counts of scheme to defraud. According to facility records, at the time this was written, he was being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.