Man hired by girlfriend’s closest friends accused of deceiving them out of $105K
LAFAYETTE CO., Mo. (KCTV) - A man previously convicted of deceptive business practices has been charged after he allegedly stole around $105,000 from his girlfriend’s closest friends.
Lafayette County, Missouri, Circuit Court records filed on Tuesday, June 3, indicate that Cory M. Richards, 36, of Grain Valley, has been charged in connection with the incident.
A probable cause statement filed by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office revealed that just before 9:05 a.m. on Aug. 22, 2024, law enforcement officials were alerted to a possible instance of fraud. A suspect identified as Richards had been hired to build a deck for around $150,000, however, the work was never finished.
Law enforcement officials said the victims reported that Richards, a boyfriend of one of their closest friends, had entered into a verbal agreement with them to build the deck. The victims stated that Richards would ask for funds for deck supplies, but never actually work on the deck.
Investigators noted that weeks had gone by before the victims realized they had given Richards $105,000 and barely any work had been done. When they inquired about Richards with the Better Business Bureau, they found his license had been revoked and he had no insurance.
According to the victims, a different contractor had quoted them the same deck at $50,000 - less than half of what had been lost to Richards.
Law enforcement officials said that they attempted to both call Richards and speak with him at his home, however, he was unreachable each time. Throughout the investigation, it was found that he had previously been convicted on multiple counts of deceptive business practices in Liberty.
As a result, Richards has been charged with stealing more than $25,000, a felony for which he could be sentenced to up to a decade behind bars. A warrant for his arrest was requested on Tuesday.
As of Wednesday, Richards does not appear to be behind bars. A court appearance has not yet been set. No further information has been released.
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