Contractor Pleads Guilty To $70K Theft From Toms River Homeowner

TOMS RIVER, NJ — An Ocean County contractor has pleaded guilty to using $70,000 of a deposit given to him by a Toms River homeowner for personal expenses and abandoning the renovation project he was paid to do, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Jeffrey Crawford, 50, of Lacey Township, pleaded guilty to theft by failure to make required disposition of property before Superior Court Judge Dina M. Vicari on Monday, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 12, 2024, and the state will be seeking a term of three years in prison along with about $70,000 in restitution to the victim, the prosecutor's office said.

The victim filed a complaint with the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs in May 2021 about Crawford, who was trading as Hercules Renovations, LLC. The investigation by Toms River police found the homeowner had signed a contract with Crawford in September 2020 to remodel the first floor of his residence and had given Crawford a downpayment of $115,000.

While Crawford sporadically performed some work on the property, he abandoned the job in March 2021 — only after causing extensive damage to the residence, authorities said.

Investigators determined Crawford had spent most of the money on himself, including $40,000 gambling in Atlantic City and about $30,000 on personal items, authorities said.

Crawford was arrested and charged Oct. 14, 2021, and released on a summons pending a future court appearance.

Senior Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Heisler handled the case. The Toms River Township Police Department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crimes Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, and Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs, collaborated on the investigation.