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Evansville City building staff report multiple contractor investigations; one guilty plea detailed
Summary
Building staff reported several contractors under investigation and said contractors under investigation have been placed on hold from pulling permits. Staff reported Brandon Bell pled guilty to fraud and was ordered to pay restitution of $26,052.
Evansville City building staff updated the meeting on multiple contractor investigations and said the department has placed contractors under an administrative hold that prevents them from pulling permits while investigations proceed.
Staff reported one case has concluded with a guilty plea: Brandon Bell pleaded guilty to fraud, was sentenced to 547 days in the Department of Correction suspended to probation, and was ordered to pay restitution to the property owner in the amount of $26,052, at $200 per month. Staff said additional details were attached to the meeting record.
Several other cases remain pending and were listed by name: Jacob Key, Hansel Holt, Joshua Manning, David Price and Ricky Plunkett. Detective Tony Toups is the investigator referenced in several items. Staff also said Eric Morgan of Rugged Construction does not hold a Vander County license and should not be working in the area; staff have informed Detective Toups and indicated Rugged Construction should not pull permits or perform work in Evansville while the matter is addressed.
Why it matters: the department said it put contractors under "hold status" so they cannot pull permits until detectives provide further instructions; that status affects contractors' ability to accept or continue work and affects property owners awaiting completion of jobs. The report included both concluded and pending criminal matters as well as administrative steps limiting permit activity.
What the board did: building staff reported the hold status and the roster of pending cases; the meeting record does not show a separate, recorded roll-call vote to create the hold but states the contractors currently are on hold pending further instruction from investigators.
