Credit: Bucks County Detectives
A prosecutor said Wednesday that it was Ryan Thayer that led to the downfall of the contracting business his father, John, started in the 1990s.
Assistant District Attorney Marc Furber said allegations from customers that they were bilked out of thousands of dollar,s were not reported until the younger Thayer took over the Bristol Township-based business in 2011. Despite Ryan Thayer taking over the business, John Thayer still played a very active role in Hammertime Construction and Demolition.
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In total, the father and son team are accused of taking $771,165.49 from 10 customers, four of them over the age of 60.
Ryan Thayer, 28, of Levittown, pleaded guilty before a Bucks County judge on charges including theft by deception, deceitful business practices and false statement to induce agreement for home improvement services. Sentencing for Thayer and his father, who pleaded no contest last month, have yet to be scheduled.
Judge Wallace Bateman said if Thayer is sentenced to the maximum punishment for the roughly 35 charges, he could face more than 130 years in prison and close to $200,000 in fines, not including any restitution.
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Thayer was not represented by an attorney at the plea.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Bucks County Detectives, the Thayers took on jobs and didn’t complete them. Some of the victims hired Hammertime Construction to work on their properties following fires. Furber said several people remain homeless and have lost their properties due to the Thayers’ actions.
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Several victims testified against the two at a preliminary hearing last year. Many testified they signed “loose” contracts with the men. Victims spoke of the thousands, in some cases, over $100,000 they had to pay to finish the work they say Hammertime Construction did not.
“I gave him (Ryan) money and I didn’t see him again,” Fairless Hills IHOP Owner Hanna Keryakous testified at the preliminary hearing. Keryakous said work on a bathroom and window damaged when a car hit the restaurant in spring was not finished by Hammertime Construction.
According to testimony from staff of the Bristol Township License and Inspections Department, the Thayers did not have proper permits for the projects they started in the township.
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Investigators sought documents from several municipalities during the course of their months-long investigation into the Thayers.
Ryan Thayer was appointed to the Bristol Township Zoning Board to replace an out going member previous to his arrest. The 28 year old no longer serves on the board, officials have stated.
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Furber told LevittownNow.com following the plea that he plans to ask the judge for appropriate punishment to make sure the Thayers can not scam anyone else.
The Thayers are both out on unsecured bail.
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