Auglaize County contractor, Jeffery D. Collingsworth, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay over $60,000 in restitution to his victims in Logan County Common Pleas Court on Thursday for scamming dozens of customers.
The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of grand theft and one count of theft relating to his contracting business, “J&R Roofing and Remodeling,” back in late March.
Investigators discovered that Collingsworth had scammed at least a dozen customers, defrauding them of more than $375,000 across various counties, including Adams County in Indiana, Monroe County in Michigan, and Allen, Auglaize, Logan, Mercer, and Shelby counties in Ohio. Law enforcement officials suspect that there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward.
Prior to this sentencing, Collingsworth had already been serving prison sentences in Auglaize and Mercer counties for other offenses, including a conviction for Medicaid fraud. During the hearing in Logan County, he appeared via video from prison, accompanied by his attorney, Griff Nowicki.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Erin Rosen represented the State of Ohio. Judge Kevin Braig of Logan County Common Pleas Court ordered Collingsworth’s sentence to be served consecutively, resulting in an approximate total of 10 years in prison.
The Logan County offenses occurred between September and December of 2021. Collingsworth’s victims had paid him for labor, materials, and supplies for various construction projects that were never completed. Among the victims, two had hired Collingsworth for the construction of pole barns, while another had relied on him to install a metal roof.
Although he finished one of the pole barns, he failed to complete the additional projects for which he had been paid. In an attempt to remedy the situation, Collingsworth sent certified mail to one customer, purportedly as a refund, but the mail did not contain any payment. In some cases in Shelby County, he issued refund checks that later bounced. Collingsworth allegedly attributed his failure to complete projects to his “Amish crew” quitting.
Moreover, his failure to pay subcontractors and suppliers resulted in mechanics’ liens being placed against the victims’ real estate in other counties.
During the sentencing hearing, two of the Logan County victims spoke about their losses, amounting to $47,000 and $9,250, respectively. Collingsworth was ordered to pay restitution to both victims, along with an additional $4,400 to a third victim who did not appear in court.
Collingsworth’s criminal history is extensive, and he was under supervision from Auglaize County at the time of these offenses.
In 2006, he was convicted of multiple counts of theft by deception and telecommunications fraud, and he still owes nearly $40,000 in fines, costs, and restitution related to that case. Additionally, he has a prior misdemeanor theft conviction from Logan County in 2016, where he failed to pay restitution for stealing generators from a local business.
Rosen highlighted resources available to protect consumers from contractor scams. The Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section offers a free database where property owners can research consumer complaints against Ohio contractors at https://www.ohioprotects.org. The Better Business Bureau also reviews contractors and publishes complaints at www.bbb.org, although it lacks legal enforcement powers.
This sentencing sends a strong message that fraudulent contractors will face severe consequences for their actions. It also serves as a reminder for individuals to conduct thorough research and exercise caution when hiring contractors to avoid falling victim to scams.
