An unlicensed contractor from Tucson was sentenced earlier this month after confessing to stealing $75,000 from incomplete projects, authorities said Monday.
Matthew Edmiston, 29, was sentenced on Oct. 1 to 30 days in jail followed by 75 consecutive weekends after pleading guilty to a felony count of theft and a misdemeanor count of contracting without a license, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
Related posts
He also received five years of probation.
“My office is serious about holding fraudulent contractors accountable,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a press release Monday. “Reputable contracting businesses and innocent families are both harmed by fraudulent contractors, and we won’t allow it in Arizona.”
How did unlicensed contractor steal $75,000?
According to authorities, between Jan. 1, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, Edmiston, who was not licensed, acted as a registered contractor and agreed to contracts with nine victims to do home repairs.
He promised to conduct roof repairs, countertop replacement, and shower floor remodels.
He began the projects and accepted all of the victims’ money, which totaled $75,000, and then never returned to the homes to complete the work, according to authorities.
He was charged in May with nine charges of fraudulent schemes and artifices, nine counts of contracting without a license, and one count of stealing.
However, the majority of the charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement agreed to in August.
Edmiston has been ordered to pay $18,000 in compensation to four of the victims, but the court will allow victims to file restitution petitions for up to 90 days after the sentence.
