KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. -- Builder Mark Boyer is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a family in Schoolcraft after contracting to build a home addition in 2016.
"He's charged with larceny by false pretenses and also contractor fraud and not having a contractor's license which is required in the State of Michigan," Bryan Campbell, Schoolcraft's police chief explained.
The chief said Boyer never started the $20,000 job, never pulled permits, never purchased materials and that the $20,000 is unaccounted for. Police said the time delay and further research pushed the family to their limit.
"They just determined that they no longer wanted to proceed, asked for their money back, and of course, that didn't happen and that's of course how we ended up getting involved," Campbell said.
Vicksburg resident Shellie Harrison spoke with the FOX 17 Problem Solvers about her ordeal with Boyer back in September 2016. We caught up with her today to discuss the charges.
"I'm glad he finally got what was due to him," Harrison said.
She added, "I'm not the only person. There are several other people that have contacted me that he's done the same thing to."
The investigation led police to the FOX 17 Problem Solvers story that featured Harrison. She said authorities contacted her during their current investigation involving Boyer and the Schoolcraft case.
In Harrison's case, Boyer also failed to pull a permit for a deck he built. After building officials took notice, he then allegedly pulled the permit using someone else's name and without their permission.
Harrison also said Boyer dragged his feet on the project, despite being paid $4,000 upfront for a $6,500. She never got her money back, but she did get her work finished after hiring a new contractor to complete the job. Her story also alerted the public about Boyer and other victims subsequently reached out.
Harrison said the new contractor "completed all of this in three days. Mark worked for three months and didn't do hardly anything and what work he did do was not up to code."
Chief Campbell said, "Once this whole issue is completed, one of the hopes is that he actually becomes a licensed contractor to do the work and then hopefully other things will fall in line for him as far as the way he does his work. But that's kind of down the road."
Boyer faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
When hiring a contractor, check to make sure they are licensed, bonded and insured. Also check out the Better Business Bureau's advice here on how to choose a contractor.
