TRAVERSE CITY — A Kingsley man is facing charges in two counties on suspicion of defrauding homeowners on construction projects and not paying subcontractors.
Travis Reimer, 55, was arraigned on four counts of contractor fraud-fraudulent use of building contract funds on Tuesday in the 86th District Court in Traverse City. The felony charges can be punishable by 6 months to 3 years in prison and/or $100 to $5,000 in fines.
Reimer turned himself in to the Grand Traverse County Jail after the Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office approved the charges, according to a Michigan State Police press release. He is due back in court at 2 p.m. April 21.
The investigation is ongoing, the release states.
Reimer is currently facing two similar charges in Benzie County’s 85th District Court for contractor-fraudulent use of building contract funds.
Troopers from the MSP’s Traverse City Post began investigating Reimer on Oct. 23, 2024, and the preliminary investigation indicated that, between 2017 and the present, homeowners across Benzie, Grand Traverse and Antrim counties paid him more than $400,000 for construction projects.
Reimer may have had contact with others in the community during this time, so the state police are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim to call the Traverse City Post at 231-938-0714.
Although subcontractors completed some of the work, police claim Reimer did not pay them and used the money for personal gain instead.
The Benzie County Prosecutor’s Office authorized a warrant for his arrest after a formal review of the case and he was taken into custody on Jan. 28 and brought to the Benzie County Jail without incident, the release states.
Reimer was arraigned on Jan. 29 in the 85th District Court and is due for a preliminary examination at 1 p.m. on May 21.