Man accused of bilking homeowners out of $57,600
Published: October 10, 2012
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ST. CROIX - A 46-year-old man arrested just before 6 a.m. Tuesday on charges that he defrauded a couple of more than $50,000 made his initial court appearance in Magistrate Court just hours later.
Abramson Carty, also known as Dan, appeared before Magistrate Judge Miguel Camacho and was advised of his rights on charges of obtaining money under false pretense and grand larceny.
Carty entered into a contract in 2009 that was breached, according to an affidavit filed by V.I. Police Detective Sgt. Mark Corniero.
Camacho advised Carty that if he is convicted of the charges he could spend up to 10 years in prison on each charge.
Carty gave an estimate to a couple to make improvements to their home in Estate Shoy's for $70,000, according to the affidavit filed to support the arrest warrant. The improvements were to include the addition of a bathroom, kitchen and concrete dog house and be completed within a two-month period, according to Corniero.
The victims told police that Carty was paid an initial $30,000 after the contract was signed, then an additional $27,600 over the course of several weeks, Corniero said. The victims told police that despite receiving a significant amount of the money for the job, Carty stopped showing up, and the work never was completed.
The male victim told police he brought in another contractor, who said that the job had been 60 percent completed but that 90 percent of that work had been done incorrectly and had to be pulled out or torn down and redone before the job could be completed.
The second contractor also told the man that Carty had underpriced the project by $124,000 and that the project would actually cost $194,000 if done correctly.
Corniero said it later was determined that Carty did not have a contractors license and had breached the contract entered into with the homeowners because he had represented himself as having a license and he did not complete the job.
The homeowners filed for and were granted a motion for summary judgement by V.I. Superior Court Judge Harold Willocks last August, and the police report that launched the investigation was filed after that.
Following the advice-of-rights hearing Tuesday, Carty's attorney, Natalie Nelson Tang-How, asked the court to proceed toward the arraignment hearing. She waived the formal reading of the information and entered pleas of not guilty on each of the charges filed against Carty.
Camacho set bail at $50,000 and denied a motion by Tang-How to reduce the bail. However, he allowed Carty to sign an unsecured bond in the amount of bail to secure his release from custody.
The case has been assigned to Superior Court Presiding Judge Darryl Donohue for a calendar call on Jan. 7, and at that time, a determination will be made whether the case is ready to proceed to trial on Jan. 9.
- Contact reporter Fiona Stokes at 714-9149 or email fstokes@dailynews.vi.
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