Crime & Safety
'Contractor' Spent Homebuyer's $$ On A New Rochelle Yacht Club
The renegade renovator's client-victims' money also went to rare coins, retail purchases and his Pay Pal account.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A "renegade" contractor who scammed a family out of $61,905.51 with promises of building them a new home in Westchester County was sentenced to prison Thursday.
Michael Scoca, 54, of New Rochelle, pleaded guilty one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, class E felony, in November. Westchester County Judge Barry Warhit sentenced Scoca to 1.5 to 3 years in state prison.
Scoca claimed he was a licensed general contractor and convinced a Bronx family planning to move to Westchester that he would build them a new home. He convinced his victims to provide him with a total of five separate credit cards to pay for materials and construction costs.
Find out what's happening in New Rochellefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Scoca used his victims’ personal identifying information and credit card numbers to pay for his own unrelated business and personal expenses, including a payment of nearly $3,000 for fees he owed to a New Rochelle yacht club, a purchase of over $1,000 in precious metal coins, and multiple other purchases totaling thousands of dollars from local retail stores. He also deposited their money into his own PayPal account.
He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $61,905.51 to the victims.
Find out what's happening in New Rochellefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Scoca had also been charged in Rockland County with third-degree grand larceny, a felony, for allegedly stealing more than $26,000 from a Stony Point homeowner who had contracted him to do a complete kitchen remodeling and other renovations. He is on Westchester County's "Renegade Renovators" list.
The case was prosecuted by the Investigations Division Assistant District Attorney Emily Rowe-Smith of the Economic Crimes Bureau
NOTE FOR THE PUBLIC: Anyone considering hiring a home contractor should check with the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection and the Better Business Bureau. If a consumer believes they have been defrauded by a contractor they can file a complaint with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
SEE ALSO: 'Renegade Contractor' Arraigned On ID Theft, Larceny
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
