SHENANDOAH - Theft charges against a Barnesville contractor were withdrawn Thursday by county prosecutors and will be refilled by the state Attorney General's Office.
John Kachmar, 48, of 21 Church St., Barnesville, was charged with four felony counts each of theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive or fraudulent business practices.
Assistant District Attorney Debra Smith said the charges were withdrawn to avoid any appearance of conflict since Maria Casey, now first assistant district attorney, once represented Kachmar before being named as a county prosecutor.
"We decided to withdraw because of a prior conflict with counsel and refer it to the attorney general's office," she said.
Kachmar was arrested by Mahanoy Township police Officer In Charge Brandon Alexander for stealing $17,400 for services he never provided.
Alexander said additional charges filed against Kachmar for additional victims will be combined with those withdrawn Thursday and will now be in the hands of state prosecutors.
The charges, Alexander said, are the result of an investigation he began on July 29 after receiving a complaint from Paul Coombe, New Boston, regarding a problem with a contractor.
Coombe reported that on May 2 he gave Kachmar a check for $5,500 to purchase seven double-hung Anderson windows along with gutter materials for his home. Coombe said Kachmar told him the windows would be delivered in two weeks and it would then take him several days to install them.
The entire job would be completed in three weeks, Coombe said the contractor told him. Kachmar also said the windows were being purchased from a supplier in the Wilkes-Barre area.
Alexander said that in mid-June, Kachmar contacted Coombe and said he had the windows and that he would be at his home within a few days to install them.
By that time, Alexander said Coombe had become aware of at least five other people who had given Kachmar money for materials and installation and did not receive either the service or materials.
Alexander said he asked Coombe if he would contact the other victims he was aware of to see if they would file reports as well.
Within a week, Alexander said he was contacted by three other victims of Kachmar's scheme.
On May 25, Thomas Karpovich, Morea, wrote a check to Kachmar for $4,000 to purchase windows and, to date, has not received the items and has been unable to contact Kachmar.
Alexander said that David Moran, Buck Mountain, reported giving a check to Kachmar in the amount of $1,200 on June 30 to repair a garage roof.
Although Moran reported talking to Kachmar several times and being told the materials were purchased, Alexander said the man's garage roof was still leaking and the work never completed.
Finally, Alexander said Lawrence Trakes, Morea, reported giving Kachmar two checks, one for $6,000 and the other for $700, on Aug. 2, 2012, for a roofing project.
Trakes reported that Kachmar told him the project would be completed by June 30. Alexander said Trakes purchased materials and rubber roofing and despite several attempts to contact Kachmar to have the job completed was unsuccessful.