State Attorney Ginger Madden has filed a felony fraud charge against contractor Matthew Banks, and more charges may be filed against Banks and other contractors as the investigation unfolds.
Why it matters: Several residents in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties have share accounts of Banks and others accepting large deposits with promises to start renovation and rebuild projects on residents without completing the projects. In some instances, demolition of kitchens, bathrooms and entire structures were done before the contractor went MIA. Others reported making deposits, and the contractor never started the work.
Dig Deeper: Banks was arrested in August in Okaloosa County on a larceny charge from the Pensacola Police Department for failing to provide a refund. A Pensacola resident paid Banks $6,740 by check for a renovation on North G Street in Pensacola. Banks, according to police, never started work and would not provide a refund despite the homeowner’s demand.
The contractor competency boards in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties have taken multiple actions against him and ordered him to pay well over $1 million in restitution.
Additional criminal charges may be filed against Banks as an investigation continues. We suspect other contractors with similar complaints should be lining up criminal defense attorneys.
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