Can a bad contractor be convicted for theft?
If you’ve ever gone through a home renovation or something similar, you have likely experienced periods of frustration with your contractor or construction crew. This may stem from missed deadlines, shoddy workmanship, mistakes, or general incompetence. In extreme cases, you might have felt duped by the contractor, so much that you think he should be held criminally liable for the promises on which he failed to deliver.
Can a contractor be held criminally liable for his failures? Texas law says YES (in certain circumstances).
In a recent case out of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the court upheld the felony criminal conviction of a contractor for theft when he accepted money and failed to deliver under the contract for services. The court explained that in most cases, dissatisfied consumers will have to resort to the civil courts, but in extreme cases, a contractor could be convicted of theft when he accepts money and utterly fails to perform.
You can read the full opinion of the court regarding Contractor Theft.
Barnett Howard & Williams PLLC is a criminal defense law firm in Fort Worth, Texas. Call us today for a free consultation of your criminal matter at (817) 993-9249.