Arrest warrant issued for contractor who skipped hearing on charges he ripped off New Kensington man

An arrest warrant has been issued for a contractor who was charged by New Kensington police more than a year after he was accused of taking thousands of dollars to remodel a resident’s bathroom but never finishing the work.

In September, a 73-year-old man reported to police that, in late 2021, he wrote 11 checks totaling $4,705 for Earl Travis Farmer, 30, of Tarentum to remodel his bathroom, according to a criminal complaint.

Along with copies of a written bid and receipts, the man showed police photographs of the demolition work Farmer did in the bathroom before walking off the job, the complaint said.

The resident told police he tried to resolve the issue by scheduling a voluntary mediation hearing through the state Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, but Farmer refused to participate in the process, according to the complaint.

Farmer is not listed in the Attorney General’s database of registered contractors. His name did not appear in a search of complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau.

Authorities said Farmer contacted police by telephone Oct. 4 and agreed to meet with them to discuss the case in the Connellsville area, where he had relocated, the complaint said.

Farmer told the officer he would get back to him with a time and location for the meeting but never made the call, police said. His phone went to voicemail when police tried to reach him again.

Farmer, who lives in the 200 block of Mentzer Street in South Connellsville, was taken into custody Jan. 28 and charged with felony counts of theft and engaging in deceitful business practices.

He was released from the Westmoreland County jail Jan. 30 after a bail agency posted 10% of the $10,000 bond set during his arraignment.

A warrant for Farmer’s arrest was issued Thursday, Feb. 9, after he failed to show up for a preliminary hearing before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr., according to court staff.