New York State Police have charged a Newfane man with defrauding more than a dozen homeowners in Niagara County.
Nathaniel Wagner, 40, was arraigned on a 15-count indictment in connection with the theft of more than $230,000 from homeowners in a suspected contractor fraud scheme that took place between December 2019 and July 2022, the New York State Attorney General’s Office announced Wednesday. The indictment was unsealed in Niagara County Court before Judge Caroline Wojtaszek.
Wagner advertised his building services on Facebook under the name Wagner Built Construction, and after obtaining deposits from customers, he didn’t perform the work, failed to deliver materials to customers and refused to issue refunds, the Office of the Attorney General said.
Instead of using the deposit money to pay for supplies or construction, Wagner used the money for his own personal expenses, an audit by the Attorney General’s Office revealed.
“Hardworking New Yorkers were fleeced out of the money they thought would be used for home improvement services,” Attorney General Letitia James said in the announcement. “Instead of fulfilling his promises and doing the work he was paid to do, Nathaniel Wagner allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting homeowners to line his pockets.”
When questioned by his customers, police said Wagner went as far as providing fraudulent invoices with fake purchases or delivering minimal materials that were either unusable or damaged, and never returned to start any actual construction work.
Wagner is charged with 12 counts of third-degree grand larceny, two counts of second-degree grand larceny and one count of first-degree scheme to defraud.
“This individual perpetuated a devious scheme to take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners by taking hundreds of thousands of dollars for contracting work that he never performed,” Acting State Police Superintendent Steven Nigrelli said in the announcement. “May this indictment serve as a reminder that we will not tolerate these types of fraudulent practices and hold accountable those who prey on innocent people.”
Investigation of Wagner began in the spring of 2022, after OAG and New York State Police fielded numerous complaints from homeowners.
Any homeowner who believes they were affected and wants to pursue a complaint is encouraged to contact OAG at Wagner.Complaints@ag.ny.gov.
The case against Wagner is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Liam Dwyer.