GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — An East Grand Rapids building contractor has to pay back more than $300,000 if he wants to stay out of jail.
The case stems from a construction job David Jon Jenkins took near Traverse City: A couple had paid him upfront to build them a house overlooking Sutton’s Bay, but Jenkins failed to pay the subcontractors.
In an April report, Target 8 investigators detailed the other unhappy customers, subcontractors and suppliers Jenkins left in his wake as he marketed his services as a high-end company called Jenkins Estates LTD.
Clients wonder if their cash is funding builder’s ‘high-end’ lifestyle
Johannes Ploeg, who hired Jenkins to build the house on Sutton’s Bay, was worried Jenkins used his money to fund a luxurious lifestyle.
“He has a Porsche and a Tesla and a house in East Grand Rapids and he likes nice, high-end things like Rolex watches and travels,” Ploeg said.
Jenkins ultimately pleaded guilty to fraudulent use of building contractor money.
Because he was only 23 years old at the time of his crime, the judge agreed to sentence Jenkins under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act. That means that if he sticks to the terms of his plea deal and pays back his victims, he can end up with a clean record. But if he fails to pay and violates the terms of his probation, he could end up in jail.
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