Theft by Deception & Home Improvement Fraud Charges Withdrawn

A business owner in his mid-40s was recently charged with theft by deception and home improvement fraud. Because the contract in dispute was valued at $7,500, the charges were filed as third-degree felony offenses.

The man, an owner of a roofing company here in the western Pennsylvania area, was charged after a customer paid him $7,500 to complete roofing services but claimed that the man never performed the work. As a business owner, the defendant was very worried about his reputation. Word of mouth is his primary source of business, and a criminal conviction would severely and negatively impact his business. With no prior criminal history, he decided to seek out the help of Pittsburgh criminal lawyer Samir Sarna to handle his case. It was important to the man that the case be dismissed and to start the expungement process as soon as possible, since potential clients would not hire him if they found out he had been charged with home improvement fraud.

Samir represented the man in Allegheny County at the magisterial district court level in three court dates. After identifying and arguing the scope of the contract and work performed by the defendant versus the terms of the actual contract, the magistrate withdrew all charges at the preliminary hearing.

Case results depend upon a variety of factors unique to each case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future case.