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Markeen Coursar, 42, who operates C&M Paving, took $2,800 from the woman to pave her driveway and then failed to perform the work or give her a refund, said District Attorney Thomas Zugibe.
“While the vast majority of local contractors are honest, there are scam artists out there,” said Zugibe. “Consumers must be cautious when hiring a contractor. To avoid being a victim, homeowners should request and check a contractor’s references and check with the proper agencies to ensure that he or she is fully licensed.”
Coursar is accused of abandoning the project and failing to provide an accounting or return of the victim’s money, officials said.
His arrest is the result of an investigation by the District Attorney's Special Investigations Unit, led by Executive Assistant District Attorney Richard Kennison Moran, and the Rockland County Department of Consumer Protection, led by Terry Grosselfinger.
Coursar will be prosecuted under the state lien law which says that, upon acceptance of funds in connection with a contract for improvement of property or home improvements, those funds become a trust, which can be used only to pay for costs incurred in the performance of that homeowner’s project. The use of that money for any other purpose is larceny, officials said.
Coursar was arraigned in the Village of Chestnut Ridge Justice Court and released without bail.
If convicted, he faces a possible prison sentence of up to seven years.
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