WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — The Wakulla County Sheriff's office has arrested a 41-year-old man accused of posing as a licensed contractor in Crawfordville.
On Jan. 13, 2020, a Crawfordville resident reported he had made an agreement with Derrick Harrell, 41, to deliver and setup a pole barn at his home.
The victim stated he had already bought the materials needed for the build from a third-party vendor. He said Harrell was supposed to pick up the materials and then setup the pole barn on his property.
To do the work, the victim paid Harrell $500 up front for labor and then an additional $100 "due to [Harrell] stating a need to pay his employees."
When it came time for the delivery of the services he paid for, however, the victim told deputies Harrell only brought some of the materials to his home, partially set up the pole barn, and never returned.
The victim then called Harrell and they came to an agreement that Harrell would deliver all the materials to the victim's home by Jan. 20 and refund the victim $300.
But deputies said that never happened. Instead, Harrell contacted the victim on Jan. 20 and said he could not return the construction material nor refund the victim.
"With the construction incomplete, the complainant was at a monetary loss of about $1,600 in construction materials," deputies wrote in a press release.
During their investigation, deputies discovered that Harrell was not a licensed contractor. Based on the evidence, they charged him with engaging in a contracting business without a certificate.
