A Steuben County contractor who allegedly received a $10,000 deposit to build a tram/elevator system for an Urbana homeowner faces a felony charge after he allegedly pocketed the money and never started the job.
Bath-based New York State Police on March 4 charged James S. Johnson Jr., 41, of Dansville, with third-degree grand larceny, a class D felony.
Investigators said Johnson agreed to construct the tram/elevator system, which would allow wheelchair access to the lakefront at a residence in Urbana.
State police said Johnson accepted the $10,000 deposit for the project in August 2024.
Troopers said Johnson deposited the money in a bank account associated with his wife.
According to investigators, the funds were spent at various retail locations, gas stations and hotels, but no materials were purchased and no work was completed.
Johnson, who was being held in the Yates County jail on another matter, was taken to Bath, where he was formally charged and processed, officials said.
He was issued an appearance ticket and returned to the custody of the Yates County jail, state police said.
Johnson is scheduled to appear in the Town of Urbana Court on March 23.
The Evening Tribune could not immediately determine if there is an attorney who can speak on Johnson’s behalf.
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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Dansville contractor accused of taking $10,000 deposit, never doing job
Reporting by Neal Simon, Hornell Evening Tribune / The Evening Tribune
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