Contractor Gets Pinched For Pocketing Over $270K From Homeowner For Work That Was Left Incomplete, Leaving Home Uninhabitable; Prosecutor Nixes Defendant's 'It's A Civil Matter' Defense, Tags Her With Grand Theft Charge Instead

In Sarasota, Florida, WWSB-TV Channel 7 reports:

• A Sarasota contractor is facing numerous charges for committing Fraud and Embezzlement against a client.
  
  Melissa Ann DeMarco, who does business as "Madinc" and "Sargent Enterprises" was arrested [] after the State Attorney's office filed charges. According to a Sheriff's Office report DeMarco filed a contractor removal request against a Sarasota couple she was doing contracting work for.
  
  According to the contracts and payment records, the victims she was trying to remove herself from had already paid her 92-percent of the contracted price of more than $300,000.
  
  However, the work done on the victims home was incomplete, uninhabitable and the work performed thus far totaled more than the FEMA 50-percent allowance.
  
  An investigation also showed that DeMarco deposited most of the checks from the victims into her personal account. DeMarco claims she was terminated from the job by the victims and this is now a civil matter.
  
  However, The state attorney's office determined based on the facts that DeMarco committed Grand Theft and an arrest warrant was issued. DeMarco was taken into custody on Thursday [March 9].

Source: Sarasota Contractor charged with embezzlement and fraud.