DILLSBURG, Pa. — A Dauphin County contractor has been accused of committing theft of services against a client in York County, according to charging documents filed by Carroll Township Police.
William Finkbone, 64, of Middletown, allegedly accepted a deposit of nearly $4,000 from a client in Dillsburg in 2023, did not the service he was hired for, and refused to refund the victim's money when the project was canceled, according to police.
He was charged last with receiving advance payment for services and failing to perform, theft by deception, and theft by failing to make required dispensation of funds after the victim contacted authorities.
According to police, the victim hired FInkbone, the proprietor of Finkbone Remodeling & Construction, to remove three windows in his kitchen and replace them with a new bay window in April 2023. Finkbone and the victim agreed on a price of $9,889 for the project, and the victim agreed to pay a $3,955.60 deposit up front.
The victim wrote Finkbone a check for the deposit, which Finkbone deposited into his bank account on May 3, 2023, police said.
At that point, several months passed without Finkbone purchasing any materials or providing any work on the project, allegedly claiming that he was "behind in his work schedule" and "experiencing personal issues," according to police. The victim told police he reached out to Finkbone several times asking when he would start the work, receiving similar excuses each time.
Finally, the victim told police, he arranged a meeting with Finkbone on April 14, 2024 to finalize details of the project and begin the work. However, Finkbone allegedly asked the victim for an additional payment of $2,966.70 in order to acquire the bay window.
When the victim asked Finkbone what had become of the deposit he'd already paid, Finkbone allegedly said that money "was tied up in other projects," according to police.
The victim then told Finkbone he wanted to cancel the project. Finkbone allegedly agreed to refund the victim's deposit in full, according to police.
The victim told police Finkbone never returned the money, and when he called the business to complain, he learned the telephone number was no longer in service, police said.
