North Strabane man accused of theft by deception for alleged failure to finish house project
A North Strabane Township man was jailed Tuesday on accusations he accepted $221,000 to construct a new house in Cokeburg and only completed part of it, without following building codes.
State constables arrested Joseph Wernert, 63, of 465 Linnwood Road, on a warrant signed Oct. 6 and brought him before District Judge Larry Hopkins to face a felony charge of theft by deception.
Wernert was charged in a private criminal complaint filed by the alleged victim, Douglas E. Wytovich, 67, who claims he gave Wernert the money to construct a house at 33 Franklin St.
Wytovich claims Wernert also put his family at risk by causing a natural gas leak in the partially built house, something that required a certified plumber to repair.
Wytovich said he issued the first check to Wernert in September 2015 in the amount of $54,000 and made the final payment of $5,000 in May 2016, court records show.
“I found him in the Yellow Pages,” Wytovich said Tuesday. When told Wernert was in jail, Wytovich said, “That’s where he needs to be.”
The Washington County district attorney’s office approved the theft charge that was initially filed before District Judge Curtis Thompson.
Hopkins placed Wernert in Washington County jail on $25,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 11:15 a.m. Nov. 6 before Thompson.