A 44-year-old Seattle man received a 30-day jail sentence for scamming homeowners, including a Kent resident, who paid him thousands of dollars for home improvement projects that he never finished.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gary Shannon Edwards, an unregistered contractor, received the sentence on July 11 from King County Superior Court Judge Theresa Doyle, according to a state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) media release. Doyle also ordered Edwards to repay his victims in King and Pierce counties $51,659 and to pay court costs.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Edwards pleaded guilty to second-degree theft and two counts of unregistered contracting. He entered the plea on July 11, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Edwards admitted pocketing payments for jobs that he never completed or in some cases never started.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the home improvement season in full swing, this case is a reminder to check out contractors before you choose one and Hire Smart,\u201d said Doric Olson, deputy assistant director of L&I Fraud Prevention and Labor Standards. \u201cWe want to make sure your home project is a success \u2014 not a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
An L&I investigation found Edwards victimized more than eight homeowners in Seattle, Kent, Renton, Sammamish and Tacoma last year.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In the Kent case, a homeowner hired Edwards in July 2013 to remove carpet and tile from the main living area and install hardwood flooring. Edwards came to the home and provided a written estimate, according to court documents.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The homeowner wrote a check to Edwards for $1,760. Edwards cashed the check the same day he received it but never provided any materials and never returned to perform any work on the project.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In one of the Tacoma cases, Edwards met with a customer in April 2013 to choose cabinets. He cashed the customer\u2019s deposit check for $4,500, but never ordered the cabinets or performed any work, the investigation found.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Edwards was doing business as Longevity Construction, but he was not registered as a contractor with L&I, as required by state law.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Edwards also faces extradition to Ohio for a 2013 theft charge in that state. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 1987 in King County.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n