MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — A Monroe County man was charged with home improvement fraud charges on Wednesday after taking payments worth thousands and not completing construction work.
Garry Dobson of Jim Thorpe was hired by a couple to construct an addition to a home in Cresco in June 2022. Dobson took a payment of $45,000 as a 50% deposit for the project that Dobson estimated to be $90,000 in total.
According to a press release, there was no progress on the project from June to September of 2022. After multiple inquiries on the initiation of the project, the couple asked for the return of the deposit and Dobson refused.
Further investigation determined that Dobson spent the $45,000 on unrelated purchases. Dobson admitted that he did not use any of the money to pay for materials to complete the project or to retain the services of any subcontractors.
At the preliminary arraignment, Dobson was released on $50,000 unsecured bail, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 30.
