MEDIA COURTHOUSE – A Ridley contractor was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay back more than $11,000 in restitution to two victims Friday immediately after pleading guilty to two counts of home enhancement fraud.
Ryan M. MacDonald, 41, of the 700 block of Vernon Avenue, entered negotiated guilty pleas in two individual scenarios right before Prevalent Pleas Decide Mary Alice Brennan.
The first was noted to police in February 2022, when a 72-yr-aged sufferer advised Delaware County Legal Investigation Division Detective Edward Silberstein that she had paid out MacDonald $9,727 in upfront expenditures to restore a deck and railing at her residence in Media.
That sufferer claimed she fulfilled with MacDonald in Oct 2021 and he indicated the career would charge $19,455 overall, like components and labor, according to an affidavit of probable induce. A penned proposal stated he would choose 50 % the revenue up entrance, a quarter when it was midway done and the past quarter when the career was finished.
The target contacted her financial institution and verified MacDonald had cashed the examine Oct. 13, 2021. He had dismantled the deck and railings Nov. 9, 2021, and set up temporary bracing, but remaining joists uncovered with no decking or railing.
The sufferer also provided a number of textual content messages to Silberstein she had with MacDonald in which he gave various excuses for why he experienced not finished the job. Silberstein noticed a “small amount” of lumber at the victim’s household, but none of the Trek decking, vinyl railings or PVC facia boards shown as products on the written proposal.
Silberstein was unable to call MacDonald by way of the phone range he furnished to the target, but did go to his listed deal with and identified a truck bearing the name of his company — Square Up Building — and the mentioned phone selection in the driveway. Silberstein and fellow CID Detective Michele Deery designed get in touch with with a gentleman who stated he was the defendant’s brother, but that MacDonald was not house at that time.
In the second circumstance, Silberstein and county Detective Sgt. Joe Hackett responded to a Woodlyn handle March 21 and spoke with an 84-12 months-previous sufferer who reported he experienced contracted with MacDonald in October 2021 to establish a front porch overhang.
That victim explained MacDonald experienced quoted him a selling price of $7,500 and that he experienced provided MacDonald a $3,500 deposit. That verify was cashed, but MacDonald failed to display up to start off the project Nov. 5, as agreed, or fall off any supplies. The target stated he tried to speak to MacDonald numerous instances by cellular phone.
MacDonald arrived to detectives’ headquarters March 22 in reference to an active arrest warrant on the previously circumstance and delivered a statement that he had cashed the test for $3,500 but failed to purchase products or get started on the overhang project.
Assistant District Lawyer Brian Denk, standing in for Assistant District Attorney Liz Schneider, head of the Economic Criminal offense Unit, indicated restitution of $3,605 should be compensated to the 84-12 months-old sufferer to start with, and $8,019 to the 72-12 months-previous victim next.
MacDonald could petition the court docket to terminate supervision with the agreement of the commonwealth just after two a long time if he has built entire restitution, below the negotiated plea labored out with defense counsel Melina Micich.
MacDonald was also ordered to supply a DNA sample to point out law enforcement. Neither MacDonald nor Micich commented Friday prior to the sentence was imposed.