Contractor Accused Of Taking Customers’ Money, Not Finishing Jobs

A contractor from Middletown was arraigned Friday on charges he took customers’ money and did not complete the work he was hired to finish.

John Michael New, 42, turned himself into Bucks County Detectives on Friday. He was arraigned on charges of felony charges of failure to perform services, theft and deceitful business practices.

Court papers filed this month state New ripped off five customers in various Pennsylvania counties between 2010 and 2015. In total, New allegedly received $67,500 for the five jobs that he did not complete and the residents had to pay over $100,000 to complete the work.

Bucks County Detective Eric Landamia wrote in court documents that he began investigating New in late August after he received information on alleged crimes.

An investigation uncovered that New did business previously under the names of “NUHL Construction and Management Group” and “JMN General Contractors.” The second company was incorporated in 2004 and the first came into existence in 2011. The partner he worked with to form NUHL Construction and Management Group left in 2012 and had a judge force New to stop using the company name in April 2014.

Landamia wrote that New lied on his registration to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Home Improvement Consumer Protection database.

Here’s some of what investigators alleged happened according to court papers:

• In August 27, 2010, residents of the 8400 block of Provident Road in Philadelphia signed an agreement with New to redo their kitchen and several other projects. The contract the resident signed listed “John M. New General Contracting” of Jamison. The homeowner paid $15,000 to the cost of the $19,320 project. New began some work but did not finished it and failed to return any advance payments. The estimated cost to finish the project was $23,000.
• Residents of the 11000 block of Millbrook Road in Philadelphia paid New $7,400 toward the $8,635 project to remodel their bathroom in March 2012. New completed demolition work and completed the ceiling and installed a shower for a handicap resident. When New didn’t return to finish the work, he said via email that he injured his leg and was unable to return to the project for a period of time. The resident learned that a special MediTub for the handicap resident was not fully paid, which the resident had to do. A new contractor was paid more than $5,000 to finish the work in July 2012.
• In January 2013, residents of Wyoming County hired New to construct a foundation and modular home after their previous home was destroyed by flooding from two hurricanes. Per the contract for $85,300, New was paid $32,000 but did not finish the work that was agreed upon. The residents tried to contact New several times but had him only returning to the unfinished job site a few times. The resident sent New a certified letter on Novmeber 7, 2013 stating New failed to abide by their agreement. Other contractors hired to finish the job were paid $108,700.
• New was contracted to replace a deck and install a concrete patio at a home in the 900 block of Duxbury Drive in Middletown in August 2014. The contract was on the NUHL Construction and Management Group letterhead, which New was court ordered to stop using. The work was supposed to begin in September 2014 and be done in a “couple of a weeks.” By mid-September, work on the project began to be delayed and New failed to provide documents to show that the resident’s money – $10,000 in total – was being used for its intended purpose. By October 15, 2014, Middletown officials sent the resident a letter stating the project required a permit. New advised the resident he would submit the documents to township officials. In mid-November, 2014, Middletown officials said no permits had been obtained. New never completed the permit. The project was considered abandoned in April 2015. New only “partially completed” the work and other contractors had to be hired at the cost of $41,600 to finish the work.
• Residents of the 200 block of Willow Drive in Falls Township’s Levittown section hired New, under the business name NUHL Construction and Management Group, to repair the roof of their home for $6,200. A down payment of $4,200 was paid. New “failed to commence any aspect of the project or provide any of the materials required to complete the project.”

Landamia noted that many of the customers were over the age of 60.

Some of the customers’ checks were taken to a Bensalem check cashing business, according to authorities.

New’s charges come months after contractors John and Ryan Thayer were jailed for a scheme that cost customers and insurance companies more than $1 million. 

New was arraigned via video by District Judge Daniel Baranoski and released on $50,000 unsecured bail.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.