Fraud charges filed in home renovation
Sandoval accused of not completing work on project
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A Roaring Spring man is facing fraud charges after not completing construction work that he was contracted and paid to perform.
Braedon Anthony Sandoval, 21, was arraigned Jan. 24 in front of Magisterial District Judge Paula M. Aigner on one felony count each of receives advance payment for services and fails to perform, forgery - alter writing and theft by deception - false impression. Unable to post $75,000 bail, he was remanded to the Blair County Prison.
The charges against Sandoval were brought after a homeowner entered the Roaring Spring Borough Police Department on Sept. 18, 2023, to report an issue with "a person doing construction on her house," police records show.
The victim told officers that she had contracted Sandoval to perform mortar removal, mortar repair, structural mortar repair, mason work, mortar finishing and brick painting at her home along the 500 block of Barley Street in Roaring Spring, according to the criminal complaint.
Sandoval allegedly took an initial check for $1,125 and agreed that the other $1,125 would be paid upon the work being completed, the victim said. The police report shows that an updated cost of $1,650 was later given by Sandoval.
Sandoval and the victim agreed that construction would begin on May 13 and end on or before May 28, as per their contract, but the victim said Sandoval never finished the work despite taking the money.
According to the police report, when the victim contacted Sandoval, he allegedly told them that "someone had taken the money out of his account and that he had hired a place called Empire Investigations out of Philadelphia to investigate."
The victim told officers that Sandoval hadn't answered any of their calls, returned the money or completed the work since then, the affidavit of probable cause shows.
On Sept. 19, 2023, investigating officers went to a bank in Roaring Spring and were given a copy of the victim's check made out for $1,500 that had been denied/returned. Officers noted that the writing on the check appeared to be altered and that it had been typed, rather than handwritten like the victim said she wrote her checks, police records show.
Officers requested that she check with her bank to see if Sandoval was trying to fraudulently get more money by manipulating her checks. It was later determined that the total loss for the victim was $2,775.
Sandoval is scheduled to appear in front of Magisterial District Judge Andrew J. Blattenberger for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 1.