Vernon Arrest Marks the 18th for Lapsed Contractor: Warrant

VERNON, CT — A man with an expired contractor's license and a long list of legal transgressions is facing a new set of criminal charges for skipping out on work to rental properties in the Rockville section of Vernon, according to an arrest warrant.

The charges for the New Year's Eve arrest of 53-year-old John Matava include second-degree larceny, violating home improvement contract regulations and a law called "notices in sales agreements," according to a warrant.

He is free in a $20,000 bond and is due on court on Jan. 9, court records indicate.

Police received a visit on Oct. 11 from a man who owns Rockville several rental properties, particularly 33-35 School St. and 56 Ward St., according to a warrant. Matava had done $7,000 worth of work for him before, with no problems, according to a warrant.

In Novemeber 2016, the landlord wrote Matava check for $4,000 for siding work at 56 Ward St. He paid Matava an additional $1,076 for garage work, according to a warrant.

The work was never completed after a long series of excuses, according to a warrant.

Matava was arrested on Dec. 31, police said.

Records cited in a warrant show that Matava is a convicted felon with 17 prior arrests in Connecticut. He has prior convictions for crimes like building code violations, second-degree larceny, other larcenies, home improvement fraud, forgery, assault and the use of a motor vehicle without permission, according to a warrant.

Records cited in a warrant show that he filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy five times and the cases were dismissed each time.

Records cited in a warrant show that "John and Jennifer Matava" have federal tax liens totaling $197,693.

John Matava also has pending civil actions from his involvement with buying and selling cars without a license, according to a warrant.

He also has faces foreclosure actions and legal actions for not paying bills and rent, according to a warrant.

He has not had a valid contractor's license since 2004 as the owner of a company called J.M. Builders, according to a warrant.

Photo Credit: Vernon police