Upper Peninsula Man Accused Of Defrauding Clients

MICHIGAN—A residential builder is facing charges for unfinished construction projects totaling more than $1 million in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Klint Miller, 30, of U.P. General Contracting in Sands Township, began the scheme in Jan. 2020 when he emailed clients notifying them his company was closing, the attorney general's office said. In doing so, 13 home construction and remodeled projects were left unfinished, even though clients paid cash in advance, the attorney general's office said.

Nessel and Marquette County Sheriff Greg Zyburt said on Thursday that Miller will be arraigned on seven counts of larceny, seven counts of fraudulent use of contractor funds and one count of conducting a criminal enterprise.

"Every licensed contractor is bound by law to follow through on work paid for by clients," Nessel said. "My office remains committed to holding accountable anyone who takes advantage of that trust and cheats clients out of hard-earned money. I appreciate the work done by the Marquette County Sheriff’s Department that helped secure these charges against Mr. Miller."