Crime & Safety
Coventry Contractor Charged with Bilking Clients out of $90,000
If convicted, he could face fines and up to 20 years in prison.
The Rhode Island State Police have charged a Coventry general contractor with several felonies after he allegedly took $90,000 from clients he promised to do work for but never completed the jobs.
Col. Steve G. O'Donnell, state police superintendent, said Scott M. Ferguson, of 20 Knight St., Coventry, became the subject of an investigation after three complaints by people who said they made substantial payments to Ferguson for various construction projects but he never returned to do the work.
Police said Ferguson received about $90,000 from the three victims and a review of bank records showed he used the money to withdraw cash from ATMs, shop at businesses "unrelated to construction" and to pay off debts.
The State Police Financial Crimes Units led the investigation and Ferguson was charged with three counts of unlawful appropriation over $1,000, all felones, and one count of check fraud over $1,500, also a felony.
He was released on $10,000 personal recognizance.
If convicted, he could face fines and up to 20 years in prison.
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