West Deer police say contractor bilked family for $30K over unfinished work

West Deer police charged a home improvement contractor from Butler County with felony charges after a family accused him of collecting more than $30,000 in up-front payments for work that was never completed.

Austin Reges, 27, of the 100 block of Cayman Drive, Penn Township, was charged with felony counts of theft by deception, deceptive business practices and home improvement fraud.

He was charged by summons and ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing before District Judge Tom Swan on April 26.

Police wrote in Reges’ arrest papers that in late December a family reported they found Reges’ company, Triple B Landscaping and Construction, on Facebook Marketplace in July and hired him to build a new front porch on their home. He was paid $15,000 in advance by cashier’s check, the criminal complaint said.

The family gave Reges a second cashier’s check for $15,027 on Aug. 22 as advance payment for a new entry door and roof repairs, according to the complaint.

The homeowners told police that during the four months after Reges was paid, no more than two workers showed up at an average of twice a week and only stayed for several hours, the complaint said.

Police said the family provided them with copies of more than 100 pages of text and Facebook messages between them and Reges that included numerous excuses for why the work was not being completed.

According to the complaint, in mid-September a family member called Reges to ask if the work would be done by Halloween. He responded, “OMG, Yes. November is deer season,” the complaint said.

Reges only completed a portion of the work on the porch and installed a front door different than the one agreed upon, the complaint said.

When questioned about the door by the family, Reges told them the one he installed was temporary and the proper one was ordered, according to the complaint.

But when the family called the Butler County building supplier, they were told Reges got a price quote for the door in late July but never put in the order, the complaint said.

The family also accused Reges of installing ceramic floor tile in their home’s entryway that was so uneven the door couldn’t open or close, the complaint said.

Reges’ company did not come up in a search of the state Attorney General’s contractor registration website. The law requires contractors who do more than $5,000 worth of work a year to register with the state.