CLEARFIELD – A Curwensville man who was allegedly paid to do a reroofing project and then didn’t complete any work waived the charges to court Wednesday at the Clearfield County Jail.
Harold E. Warren II, 47, of Curwensville has been charged by Clearfield-based state police with receive advance payment for services and fails to perform and theft by deception. His bail has been set at $25,000 unsecured.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on June 17 a trooper received a report from a male victim who felt he was scammed out of $2,500. He told state police that on Sept. 16, 2015 at his camp in Curry Run, he paid Warren to purchase building supplies.
Warren was to purchase the supplies to put a new metal roof on his camp. The $2,500 was a down payment a part of a $4,000 contract for the re-roofing of his camp, the victim stated. Since then he’d made numerous attempts to contact Warren regarding the status of the project.
To date Warren allegedly hasn’t purchased materials or completed any work. The victim stated he’d pursued the matter civilly, but Warren failed to show for a hearing, and although he was awarded a settlement, he was advised it may be a long time for him to receive it.
As a result, the victim told state police he was advised to pursue it as a criminal matter. He explained that all he wanted was to be reimbursed in full, as well as for the costs to him associated with filing a civil suit against Warren.
On June 23 the trooper interviewed Warren, who acknowledged the victim’s report was factual. However, he made “every excuse” about why he didn’t purchase materials or complete any work, according to the affidavit.
The trooper advised Warren that the victim just wanted his money back in full along with $162 for filing the civil suit against him. The trooper noted it would have to be in a timely manner, and if he couldn’t come up with it, he’d risk being charged for theft by deception and home improvement fraud.
Warren told the trooper he didn’t have the money but would try to get it in full. The trooper advised Warren he would give him a fair amount of time to pay back the victim.
On Sept. 19 the victim called the trooper regarding the investigation, at which time he reported he hadn’t received any payment from Warren. He advised the trooper that he wanted to proceed with criminal charges.
The same day, the trooper tried to contact Warren, but he was unable to speak with him.