MANHATTAN, IL — A Manhattan man who owns a general contractor company faces criminal charges of home repair fraud and theft by deception, after another man claims he took money for work he never completed.
Aaron McMann, 35, who operates Chi-Line Construction, is accused of theft by deception and aggravated home repair fraud, according to a felony complaint filed in Will County Dec. 2. The complaint details that McMann allegedly took a down payment from a Manhattan resident, for a project to construct a basement entryway in the man’s home. The work was never completed, the complaint alleges.
According to court documents, the victim—who is over 60 years old—told Will County Sheriff’s Police investigators that they had signed a contract for the $30,000 project, and McMann had accepted a down payment of $15,175.
A warrant has been issued for McMann’s arrest. As of Dec. 3, there is no record of him in custody.
It’s not the first time a customer has complained about McMann. In Frankfort last year, McMann’s business license was suspended, after numerous complaints of shoddy or incomplete work. One Franfort couple said McMann stole close to $43,000 from them for work either done wrong, or not completed.
In Will County, there are two open cases against McMann and Chi-Line Construction, according to the Will County Circuit Court website. One is a foreclosure case, naming McMann, L&W Supply Co., Schilling Brothers Lumber, Stonegate Community Association, Stonegate Townhome Owners Association and others as defendants.
The second is the criminal complaint filed Dec. 2.