Alleged victim speaks out about contractor fraud in Northern Michigan скачать в хорошем качестве

Alleged victim speaks out about contractor fraud in Northern Michigan

Officials say the case against the 55-year-old Grand Traverse County man from Kingsley accused of fraud related to contracting jobs continues to develop, with new claims coming in as recent as Wednesday. Travis Reimer is accused of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars for construction projects without paying the subcontracted workers. He is scheduled to appear in court later this month in Benzie County. Police say the case involves victims across Benzie, Grand Traverse, and Antrim counties. An alleged victim from Grand Traverse County, who spoke with officials, said he is learning from his experience and is now working to improve the reputation of contractors, which he believes is damaged by incidents like this. Ben Adams, a subcontractor, said he worked for Reimer in 2019. "He started getting squirly, making up excuses saying, 'hey I need this completed so I can get paid from this client and then I can pay you,'" Adams said. Adams claims he was defrauded by Travis Reimer after suffering a severe injury while working on a pole barn in 2019. "I'm putting in the last nail to the post," said Adams. "This guy working with me grabs on to the top of one of the trusses to kind of give a counterbalance to get down because he was not a light guy. And between that and a heavy gust of wind, he ended up bringing over those 17 trusses and as I heard the noise of the first one snap, I jumped. By the time I jumped off I was over 30 feet in the air, and I landed right to the hard clay and broke my neck. Everybody said I should have died from it." Adams alleges Reimer blamed him for the accident and withheld payment for two weeks of work, totaling approximately $3,500. "I'm like, 'am I gonna lose my house? How am I gonna feed my kids?'" said Adams. "I'm lying there with a broken neck in the hospital and he's trying to say this is all my fault and says he's not gonna pay me what he owes me because he's saying that lapse was my fault when it obviously was not. There were other witnesses that said it was not my fault. Investigators report that homeowners across Northern Michigan have paid Reimer over $400,000 for construction projects since 2017, but subcontractors were not compensated. Benzie County Prosecutor Sara Swanson stated, "We believe there's a pattern here, which will help us to show that there was criminal intent." Spl/Lt. Ashley Miller of the Michigan State Police emphasized the importance of reporting such incidents: "If you don't report it, it will never be investigated and you'll never get your money back, you'll never have this documented. And people need to be held accountable." Swanson aims to secure restitution for victims if Reimer is found guilty. "If he is ultimately found guilty or pleads guilty to something, then on behalf of the victims during sentencing we would ask for restitution," said Swanson. "Restitution would cover any actual loss that any of our victims suffered." Adams, now the owner of TC Integrity Building, expressed satisfaction with Reimer's arrest, saying, "Justice for me enough was served with the arrest. That was good enough for me." He continues to work in construction, aiming to support his family and help others who have been exploited. "I just wanted to do what I loved. What was in my blood to support my family. Raising three daughters, to show them that in adversity, keep pushing," Adams said. Michigan State Police urges anyone who believes they may have been a victim to contact the MSP Traverse City Post at 231-938-0714. Reimer's next court appearance is scheduled for February 19 at 1 p.m. READ MORE: https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/we... -------------------------------- For all of your news, weather and sports needs: http://www.upnorthlive.com Like us on Facebook:   / upnorthlive   Follow us on twitter: @upnorthlive.com Download our app, available for iPhone and Android! #traversecity #localnews #news #video #upnorthlive #michigan