Bucks DA: Contractor swindled customers
John Pratt accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars for several jobs, then not completing them
BUCKS COUNTY COURT » John Pratt, 45, of Oreland, Montgomery County, was charged July 20 with cheating customers out of more than $87,000 by not completing jobs that he had been paid for, the Bucks County District Attorney’s office said in a release.
The case, which was investigated by Hilltown Township Police Department and Bucks County detectives, involves cus-
tomers in two states, four counties and nine municipalities. Most of those customers had to spend additional money to complete the unfinished jobs, investigators said.
Pratt is also charged with writing seven bad checks for about $10,000 to seven material suppliers or service providers, the DA’s office said.
He was arraigned before District Judge Regina Armitage, New Britain, and released on $500,000 unsecured bail, with the condition that he have no contact with the alleged victims except if it is to arrange repayments through his attorney, Joseph Malley, of Media, the DA’s office said. He was also ordered by Armitage to not accept any new contracts in which he is the general or sub-contractor dealing directly with the customer, the DA’s office said.
The alleged thefts began in 2015, when Pratt’s business was known as Pratt’s Complete Home Renovations & Upgrades LLC, investigators said. Around April of this year, he began working under the name Handy Husband LLC, investigators said.
The charges, as outlined by the Bucks County District Attorney’s office in the release, allege:
• Pratt was paid $8,450 in April of 2015 to improve and renovate a basement/ recreation room in Lower Merion, Montgomery County, but never finished the project nor got township permits for it, investigators said.
• Pratt was paid $18,400 in June of 2015 for deck work, a French door, a kitchen window and permits in Warminster, Bucks County, but the work was not done and the window and screen for the French door were never received, investigators said.
• Pratt was paid $14,800 in September of 2015 for work at a fire-damaged home in Collegeville, Montgomery County, but neither finished the work nor got permits, investigators said.
• Pratt was paid $2,500 in March of 2016 by a former neighbor in Philadelphia as a deposit for bathroom renovations but never started the work, investigators said. The customer canceled the contract but did not receive a refund, investigator’s said.
• Pratt was paid $3,000 in May of 2016 toward installation of an air conditioning unit in Woolwich Township, Gloucester County, N.J., but never started work, investigators said. The customer stopped payment on the check and was sued by the check-cashing agency, which got a judgment against her and sought to freeze her bank accounts until it received payment, the DA’s office said.
“The woman said the episode left her unable to purchase a wheelchair for her handicapped son,” the DA’s office said in the release.
• Pratt was paid $6,900 in May of 2016 for a renovation project in Horsham, Montgomery County, that was not completed, investigators said.
• Pratt was paid $23,090.21 in August of 2016 for a project in Conshohocken, Montgomery County, including a carport, installation of flooring and central air conditioning, investigators said.
“The air conditioning unit failed, knocking out power to the woman’s children’s bedrooms for two weeks. And the unfinished flooring buckled and separated,” the DA’s office said.
• Pratt was paid $2,175 toward replacement of an air handler, heat package and heat pump in Hilltown Township, Bucks County, investigators said. He cashed the deposit check in December of 2016 but never showed up to do the work and did not return the money, investigators said.
• Pratt and his painter were paid $15,600 in the fall of 2016 toward a project including construction of a bathroom, mud room and other work in Fort Washington, Montgomery County, but failed to complete the job, get township permits or return any money, investigators said.
The charges against Pratt include home improvement fraud, deceptive or fraudulent business practices, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and bad checks, the DA’s release said.
Anyone else who believes he or she has been victimized by Pratt or his businesses can contact Bucks County Detective Timothy Campbell at 215-340-8140 or Hilltown Township police Officer James Browne at 215-453-6000 ext. 282, the DA’s office said.