A Florida building contractor was accused of collecting thousands of dollars from a homeowner’s construction project but refused to start the work.
Detectives recently booked 45-year-old Don “Stephen” Wildmon, of Polk County, into jail after obtaining an arrest warrant for him. Officers said they began investigating the case in October 2021 when the victim first contacted the sheriff’s office to report Wildmon.
According to the sheriff’s office, the victim first contacted Wildmon in January 2021 through his business, Wildmon Construction. The client discussed the project, an addition to his home, with Wildmon and the contract for the job was signed on Feb. 12, 2021. That’s when the client provided a down payment of $23,500, which was half of the entire project’s value.
According to the agreement, Wildmon was supposed to begin the work in April 2021 and finish it within three months. However, by October 2021, no work had been started, detectives said.
When contacted by a detective, Wildmon said he would return the client’s money back to him, and the investigation was halted, the sheriff’s office said. However, by Feb. 9, 2022, the victim said he had yet to receive a refund.
Wildmon was arrested and charged with fraud and grand theft.
