MARLIN, Texas (KWTX) – A Falls County contractor with felony theft charges pending in McLennan County was placed on deferred probation Tuesday in Falls County for stealing $130,000 from a 68-year-old widow who hired her to build a home.
Andress Sellman, 34, formerly of Satin, pleaded no contest Tuesday to theft of more than $30,000 but less than $150,000 from an elderly person. As part of a plea bargain with the Falls County District Attorney’s Office, Sellman already has made $131,551 in restitution to the woman in exchange for her no contest plea and a recommendation that she be placed on felony deferred probation.
Falls County District Attorney Jody Gilliam also agreed to dismiss two related state jail felony theft cases against Sellman after she made restitution to two Waco vendors – $8,316 to Loop 340 Overhead Door and $10,247 to Williams Drywall Co.
Andress Sellman(KWTX)
Judge Bryan Russ Jr. of 82nd State District Court in Falls County accepted the plea agreement and placed Sellman on deferred probation for five years. A no contest plea has the same legal effect as a guilty plea in criminal cases.
In deferred probation cases, there is no final judgment of guilt and defendants can avoid felony convictions if they abide by the terms and conditions of probation.
Sellman had contracted with a widow to build a new home for her near Chilton in northwestern Falls County in December 2023 and took $130,000 from the woman to do the job, officials said.
The woman was in court Tuesday and gave a victim-impact statement after Sellman pleaded no contest. She related how stressful the ordeal was for her, exacerbated after another vendor filed a lien on the property and she had to liquidate assets to pay it off.
Gilliam complimented Overhead Door and Williams Drywall for their patience with the woman.
“Those two were very kind because the understood what was going on and did not make any attempt to file a lien on the homeowner,” Gilliam said.
Sellman’s attorney, Abel Reyna, deferred comment Tuesday because of the pending McLennan County charges.
At the time of her arrest in Falls County, Sellman was free on bond after being charged in McLennan County with theft of more than $30,000 but less than $150,000. She has not been indicted on that charge, court records show.
According to an arrest affidavit in the McLennan County case, Sellman is charged with stealing $58,948 from a Mart-area man between Dec. 26, 2024, and March 5, 2025.
The man reportedly hired Sellman to build a residence in the 400 block of Marley Road in Mart. Sellman, according to the affidavit, took four loan advances totaling $63,602 for building materials.
The requests were approved by the man, who told authorities he thought Sellman was going to use the funds to build his residence, the affidavit states.
Investigators obtained Sellman’s financial records and learned the funds she took from the victim were used for personal expenses like clothing, merchandise, vehicle payments, vehicle maintenance, dental hygiene, hair care, family vacations and trip expenses.
“Furthermore, there was little indication that any funds were used to operate Sellman’s business or to construct [the victim’s] residence,” investigators wrote in the affidavit.
“Out of the total amount advanced to Sellman, about $58,948 was used purely for personal gain,” the affidavit states.
Copyright 2026 KWTX. All rights reserved.