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

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

Robert M. Merrill Jr., 47, was scheduled to look Tuesday afternoon in Windham Superior Courtroom, Legal Division. Decide Michael Kainen granted the state’s request for an arrest warrant for not demonstrating up in courtroom and $200 bail.

“That seems acceptable,” Kainen reported.

According to an affidavit, the Vermont Condition Law enforcement gained a report about the incident from the target in May possibly. The sufferer stated he signed a deal with Merrill Painting Enterprise in April 2020 to paint his secondary dwelling in Londonderry.

The victim told police he wrote two checks to Merrill for a overall of $2,666 and both experienced been deposited by Merrill. Merrill made use of the nicknames “Bud” and “Buddy” when speaking with the victim and retained putting off the start off dates, in accordance to the affidavit.

“’Bud’ agreed on many occasions,” states the affidavit, listing May 15, 2020, July 20, 2020, Aug. 10, 2020, Aug. 17, 2020 and Aug. 21, 2021, “to return the deposit cash again to him but hardly ever showed up and subsequently stopped responding to [the victim’s] email messages and cellphone calls.”

When a trooper fulfilled with Merrill at his home in Windsor in June, Merrill admitted to cashing the checks and in no way done the painting position as agreed to in the created deal, according to the affidavit. Merrill told police his business skilled some troubles because of to the COVID-19 pandemic and he would like to pay out the victim back again at the time he gets a paycheck from a further portray occupation. That experienced not occurred as of the beginning of July and Merrill was cited for house improvement fraud.