Arrest warrant issued for contractor in home improvement fraud cause | Local News

BRATTLEBORO — A decide issued an arrest warrant for a Windsor contractor accused of property enhancement fraud just after he did not clearly show up for arraignment.

Robert M. Merrill Jr., 47, was scheduled to look Tuesday afternoon in Windham Top-quality Courtroom, Felony Division. Choose Michael Kainen granted the state’s request for an arrest warrant for not showing up in court and $200 bail.

“That appears to be appropriate,” Kainen mentioned.

In accordance to an affidavit, the Vermont Condition Police acquired a report about the incident from the sufferer in Might. The victim mentioned he signed a deal with Merrill Painting Firm in April 2020 to paint his secondary residence in Londonderry.

The sufferer advised police he wrote two checks to Merrill for a total of $2,666 and both equally had been deposited by Merrill. Merrill utilized the nicknames “Bud” and “Buddy” when communicating with the victim and saved putting off the start dates, in accordance to the affidavit.

“’Bud’ agreed on several situations,” states the affidavit, listing May possibly 15, 2020, July 20, 2020, Aug. 10, 2020, Aug. 17, 2020 and Aug. 21, 2021, “to return the deposit funds back to him but never ever showed up and subsequently stopped responding to [the victim’s] emails and telephone calls.”

When a trooper achieved with Merrill at his residence in Windsor in June, Merrill admitted to cashing the checks and by no means completed the painting work as agreed to in the published agreement, in accordance to the affidavit. Merrill instructed law enforcement his company seasoned some challenges thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and he would like to fork out the sufferer back again as soon as he gets a paycheck from yet another portray job. That had not took place as of the commencing of July and Merrill was cited for residence advancement fraud.