FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 A Palm Coast couple wired $40,000 to a contractor for home renovations that were supposed to be finished in three months. Detectives say the work barely started \u2014 and the money went elsewhere, including signed baseball card purchases.<\/p>\n
The Flagler County Sheriff\u2019s Office said Michael Struhar, 43, of Palm Coast, owner of Sunshine State Contractor Services, signed an agreement with the homeowners in December 2025 to do work on their home. <\/p>\n
Investigators say Struhar showed up once, removed and painted a single wall, then never returned. The couple\u2019s calls and texts went unanswered, and a certified letter demanding a refund was ignored, the agency said.<\/p>\n
After the victims reported the case to FCSO in April, the General Assignment Unit began investigating. Records showed that within days of the wire transfer, the account reflected about $11,500 in cash and debit withdrawals and more than $33,500 in Zelle payments \u2014 with no evidence the funds were used to buy materials for the Palm Coast job, according to the sheriff\u2019s office. <\/p>\n
Detectives also found recurring charges to an online auction site where Struhar allegedly collected signed baseball cards. By the end of December, the account was negative and stayed there for most months afterward, deputies said.<\/p>\n
Struhar\u2019s ex-wife told detectives she\u2019d been contacted by unpaid subcontractors and said Struhar brushed off the certified letter, texting her, \u201call good, already taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n
The State Attorney\u2019s Office approved an arrest warrant for grand theft over $20,000, with bond set at $50,000. Struhar was arrested Friday and later released on bond. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis contractor\u2019s version of \u2018if you build it, he will come\u2019 was build nothing, take the cash, and buy baseball cards.\u201d said Sheriff Rick Staly. \u201cHe painted one wall and called it a day. Contractors who think they can come to Flagler County and pocket someone\u2019s money should think again. Our detectives will relentlessly track down scammers and thieves posing as honest professionals and take them to the Green Roof Inn.\u201d<\/p>\n
The investigation remains active; anyone who believes they may be a victim is asked to call FCSO at 386-313-4911.<\/p>\n
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