Neustadt
GOSHEN – A Goshen contractor and his corporation pled guilty on Tuesday in Orange County Court to defrauding property owners who had hired him to construct homes on real property they owned.
Charles Neustadt, 63, pled guilty to charges of grand larceny and theft of services. His company, JC Builders, Inc. pled guilty to felony charges of grand larceny and scheme to defraud.
Under terms of the plea agreement Neustadt must pay $175,000 to six property owners who had given him money to construct residences on property they owned, and owners who neither had their homes completed nor received their money back.
Under terms of the plea agreement if Neustadt pays all the money back by January 3, 2019, the District Attorney’s Office will recommend that he be sentenced to three years of probation on his theft of service charge and that he be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea to the grand larceny charge.
If he fails to pay all the restitution by that time, the DA will recommend that he be sentenced to two-and-one-third to seven years in state prison on the grand larceny charge.
“The construction, buying, or improvement of a residence is generally the most expensive purchase most people will ever make, and they must be protected from fraud,” said DA David Hoovler.”It is of primary importance that victims whose lives have been disrupted receive full restitution.”
