A Jim Thorpe contractor who police took $45,000 from a couple to build an addition onto their home in Cresco and never returned to the site was charged on Wednesday by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.

Garry A. Dobson, 45, of 70 Wild Creek Drive, Jim Thorpe, was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Phillip Riley of Mountainhome on charges of home improvement fraud, deceptive business practices, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 30.

According to an affidavit of probable caused filed by Detective Thomas McMahon of the DA’s office, Dobson was hired in June 2022 by Ralph and Jacqueline Johnson of Cresco to build a two-story addition measuring 22-by-24-feet onto their home.

The Johnsons told police that based on a $90,000 estimate Dobson provided them, they wire-transferred half of the estimate to the contractor as a deposit for the job. They said when there was no progress on the project in September of that year, they made multiple inquiries to Dobson.

The Johnsons said they eventually asked for their money back but Dobson refused to provide it.

McMahon’s affidavit states the detective determined Dobson spent the $45,000 on unrelated purchases and that during an interview with the defendant, he admitted he did not use any of the money that he withdrew from his account at the Mauch Chunk Trust Company for materials to complete the Johnson project, nor did he use it to retain the services of any subcontractors who would have been hired to do the work.

At the preliminary arraignment, Dobson was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.