Clearwater contractor jailed, accused of spending $736,000 of a church's building deposit
Clearwater police have charged the 40-year-old owner of Custom Building Solutions with grand theft, alleging he spent $736,545 of an $832,175 deposit that Unity Church of Clearwater paid in 2023 for a new church building.
Police arrested the St. Petersburg contractor on Wednesday, October 28, and charged him with grand theft of $100,000 or more, an arrest affidavit cited by IONTB says. Tampa Bay 28 reported he was jailed in Pinellas County with no bond. The charge is an allegation, and he has not been convicted.
The church hired his company in August 2023 to build at 2419 Nursery Road. Its payments from September 6 to December 4 that year came to $832,175, equal to 20% of the contract price, and were meant for materials and subcontractors. Subpoenaed bank records showed only $95,630 reached the job through March 2026, police said. The affidavit says the only visible work in that time was a fence around the lot.
Investigators list where they say the rest went: $176,575 in Apple Card charges for restaurants, travel and clothing, a $100,000 Mercedes G-Wagon, $65,000 paid to Ford Motor Co., about $58,557 to his condo association, $24,401 to law firms, $15,251 on a Chase mortgage and $114,700 he withdrew or wrote to himself in checks. By March 2026 the account held $56,078.
The church served him a demand letter for the missing $736,545 on July 9, 2026. He did not answer, the affidavit says. Neither report named a defense lawyer.
Why it matters: The deposit paid before work starts is the money most at risk on any job. Owners can tie advances to delivered materials and paid invoices, and ask for subcontractor lien waivers before releasing the next draw.
Sources
- Contractor Accused of Taking More Than $736,000 From Clearwater Church Construction FundsIONTB, Oct 29
- Contractor arrested for using $700k to build church for personal use: CPDTampa Bay 28 (WFTS), Oct 29