A contractor accused of bilking a Wrightstown resident surrendered last Thursday on charges relating to home improvement fraud and deceptive business practices.
Marc Haworth, 41, operator of Pool and Patio Specialist LLC, is accused of defrauding the owners of five homes in Northampton, Langhorne, Levittown and Wrightstown by accepting more than $149,000 in payment and then failing to complete the work.
The homeowners who fell victim to the contract were forced to pay out more than $20,000 to complete work neglected by Haworth, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office. The projects included things like pool construction and upgrades, garage remodeling, roofing and paving work.
Haworth’s active company, Pool and Patio LLC, was insured and registered. Authorities said that Haworth may have received the credentials fraudulently for his current company.
Along with his wife, Haworth was the former owners of three additional firms, officials said.
Detectives who letd the three month investigation said that Haworth lied during the registration of the businesses by saying he had never filed for bankruptcy or had any civil judgement filed against him or his company. Investigators also said that Haworth stated he never had a history of fraudulent practices, but he pleaded guilty in 2005 to charges of deceptive business practices.
Haworth, a resident of Fairless Hills also allegedly lied to Erie Insurance in 2015 to receive insurance coverage.
Maworth is being charged with four counts of a third degree felony receiving payments and failing to perform services, a second degree felony of the same charge, five felonies of deceptive business practices, a felony of theft by deception and intent to defraud. His bail was set an unsecured $250,000.
Anyone with information about questionable activities involving Haworth is asked to contact Detective David Coyne at 215-348-6333 or Detective Eric Landamia at 215-348-6358.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.