Florida Builders Face Criminal Charges Of Misapplication Of Construction Funds, Grand Theft, Issuing Rubber Checks

According to a recent story in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the Flagler County, Florida Sheriff's Office has been busy investigating and charging local home builders for taking customers' money and either not performing the work contracted for, or having the work done by a subcontractor, and then not paying the sub for the work. According to the story:

• Flagler County sheriff's Detective John Gaspar, who led two of the last three Flagler County building company investigations that resulted in arrests, said it appears to be a "trend" that local contractors and builders are involved in mismanaging their customers' money.

• In August, investigators arrested Gregory Bleyl, owner of Osprey Custom Homes Inc., after they say he bilked 18 Russian and Ukranian immigrants out of more than $700,000. He was charged with grand theft and misapplication of construction funds and remains in the Flagler County jail.

• And last week, authorities arrested Joseph Fasino, owner of Sandcastle Homes for operating a building scam that also involved liens on customers' homes, bad checks, and misapplication of construction funds, investigators said. Fasino is being held at the St. Johns County Jail on $287,500 bail.

In the most recent case, Herbert Heron and Noel Richardson, owners of Canterbury Estate Homes Inc. and Oxford Title Company Inc. (the company that handled Canterbury's real estate closings), were charged with grand theft, organized fraud, misapplication of construction funds and issuing worthless checks, for, among other things, allegedly taking over $400,000 from more than half a dozen people for work they promised, but never performed. For more, see Home builders charged with multiple felonies (no longer available online).

For related stories on:

• Gregory Bleyl and Osprey Custom Homes Inc., see Poor economy boosts Flagler crime (no longer available online).
• Joseph Fasino and Sandcastle Homes, see Another Flagler builder charged with fraud (no longer available online).

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