$138K Scam: Contractor Skips Town After Taking Capital Region Homeowner's Cash, Police Say

A construction contractor is facing charges after allegedly scamming a homeowner in the region out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

An Albany contractor is accused of scamming a homeowner out of $140,000.
Photo Credit: *Canva/klosfoto*

Michael Mashburn

10/19/2023 6:00 p.m.

Michael Matteo, age 57, of Albany, was arraigned in Albany County Court on Thursday, Oct. 19.

According to Albany Police, the victim reached out to investigators in August 2023 saying they had paid Matteo for construction work that was never completed.

An investigation found that Matteo received nearly $140,000 between June 2022 and January 2023 to renovate a home in Albany.

Matteo accepted the payments, but never finished the project, police said.

He is charged with one count of second-degree grand larceny, a felony.

If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

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