Old Forge contractor charged with home improvement fraud

David Singleton, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read

Jan. 30—An Old Forge contractor faces charges after investigators say he defrauded a borough couple of almost $30,000 by failing to complete a series of projects at their home.

Joseph Anthony Mancuso, owner of Joe Mancuso General Contracting, was released on $5,000 unsecured bail. Senior Magisterial District Judge Theodore Giglio arraigned him Friday on home improvement fraud and two other felony charges.

Lackawanna County detectives said Mancuso, 48, 520 W. Grace St., received $71,140 in advance payments from William and Lisa Kossuth last year for home improvement services at their Old Forge property but did not finish the work or return their money.

A criminal complaint filed by Detective Renee Castellani, who opened an investigation in late October, set the total amount of the fraud at $29,638.

According to the complaint, the Kossuths entered three contracts with Mancuso between May 17 and July 14 for three separate projects. He told them the work would be completed in July.

However, as of Oct. 11, the last day Mancuso was at the work site, only about two-thirds of the work under the first contract had been completed and only the shell of a structure called for in the second contract had been erected, the complaint said.

Mancuso told the couple he had run out of money for the job, and he told Castellani the same thing when she contacted him Oct. 31, the complaint said.

An attorney representing Mancuso notified Castellani in November that the contractor was trying to secure a loan to make restitution to the Kossuths, the complaint said, but the attorney later told the detective he was unsuccessful.

Through the attorney, Mancuso also provided the detective with copies of receipts he said represented his labor costs and materials purchased for the work at the couple's home.

Castellani reviewed the receipts and found several were for other jobs Mancuso had been hired to do, the complaint said. She also contacted two subcontractors hired by Mancuso, who confirmed they did work at the Kossuth property but said they were never paid by Mancuso.

In addition to home improvement fraud, Mancuso was charged with deceptive business practices and theft by unlawful taking.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled Monday at 11 a.m.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9132.