PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG\/WECP) – A Tampa-area contractor has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing tens of thousands of dollars from an 87-year-old Bay County man who was trying to rebuild after Hurricane Michael.<\/p>\n
State Attorney Larry Basford announced that Mark Eugene Stargardt, 66, of Valrico, owner of Stargardt and Associates, LLC, was sentenced Thursday to 60 months in prison after a Bay County jury found him guilty June 16 of grand theft involving more than $20,000. He has remained in custody since the verdict.<\/p>\n
Circuit Judge Shonna Young Gay also ordered Stargardt to pay $46,606.33 in restitution to the victim.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said Stargardt accepted about $38,000 in payments between February and May 2019 to repair the victim\u2019s hurricane-damaged home but failed to complete the work.<\/p>\n
According to evidence presented at trial, the only permit obtained was for an initial demolition that prosecutors said was left incomplete, performed improperly and later had to be redone by another contractor. By August 2019, no meaningful work had been completed on the property for six months.<\/p>\n
Assistant State Attorney Zachary VanDyke said the victim repeatedly contacted Stargardt and his company seeking answers but was met with excuses and promises that the work would be completed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been an absolute nightmare for the victim in this case,\u201d VanDyke said in a statement. \u201cHe did everything right and the defendant took advantage of him and continued to lead him along for months.\u201d<\/p>\n
After reporting the matter to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Bay County Sheriff\u2019s Office, the victim\u2019s detailed records helped investigators build the case, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff\u2019s Office for its investigation, which led to Stargardt\u2019s arrest and conviction.<\/p>\n
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