Wednesday, June 2, 2004

Local builder pleads guilty to defrauding homeowners By JOHN MUNFORD jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com A Fayette County builder has pled guilty to failing to pay for materials and subcontractors on nine local homes, causing liens to be filed on the properties, officials said. Kenneth Jerome Wilson, of 1705 Yarborough Dr., Peachtree City, entered a plea of guilty to nine counts of theft by conversion of payments for real property improvements, three counts of false swearing and one count of theft of services, said Fayette County District Attorney Bill McBroom. The unpaid bills went up into the tens of thousands of dollars, McBroom said. Some homeowners already have paid off the liens to clear the title to their home, McBroom added. The three counts of false swearing were for signing affidavits that promised there were not liens or outstanding money owed on three of the homes, McBroom said. Superior Court Judge Tommy Hankinson accepted Wilson’s guilty plea in open court May 21. Sentencing will be delayed until a restitution hearing can be held, with the length of Wilson’s probation depending upon a final counting of all the money he owes to the homeowners, McBroom said. Wilson will also serve at least a year in a diversion center, which allows him to work during the day to earn money to pay the restitution to the homeowners, McBroom said. The victims in the case agreed to the diversion center sentence so they could be paid back, McBroom said. Some of the victims even testified in open court that they approved of the sentence recommendation from the district attorney’s office, McBroom added. “The homeowners really wanted their money back,” McBroom said, noting that Wilson has “a good job” which will allow him to pay the restitution. The guilty plea came days before Wilson was to face a jury trial, officials said. Wilson also has requested treatment as a first offender, which would allow the charges to be wiped off his record once he successfully completes his sentence. McBroom said his office is opposing first offender treatment for Wilson. There were also criminal cases filed against Wilson in Coweta and Henry counties, but the Fayette charges were the first to be adjudicated, McBroom said.