Contractor took $15,700 in checks, didn’t complete project, police say

A West Decatur man has been charged after police say he was hired to complete a construction project at a Philipsburg residence, which he was paid for but never completed.

Police say Patrick Gerg, 45, took checks totaling $15,700 to complete a construction project at a residence on Berkley Street in Philipsburg. According to police, Gerg never attempted to start the project, and kept the money.

He was charged with felony counts of of receiving advance payments for services and failure to perform, and theft by deception/false impression.

He was arraigned Sunday by District Judge Steven Lachman, who set unsecured bail at $25,000.

Gerg’s preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 16.

This story was originally published August 6, 2017 at 10:09 PM with the headline "Contractor took $15,700 in checks, didn’t complete project, police say."