A Gilpin County home contractor is accused of turning a renovation job into a seven-figure payday for himself. Investigators say 57-year-old David Paul Perez, who does business as PJ Construction, took more than $1.1 million from an at-risk couple that hired him to work on their property.
Perez was located in Gilpin County and arrested on Friday. He now faces three counts of felony theft and one count of crimes against at-risk persons. He posted a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Gilpin County Court on Aug. 4.
According to the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors filed three counts of theft in May and designated them as class 3 felonies in case number 26CR57. A warrant for Perez was issued on May 11 after prosecutors reviewed bank records and other financial documents tied to the project, the office said.
Investigation details
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation says its Economic Crime Unit opened the case in October 2025 and later found Perez in Gilpin County, where agents took him into custody, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
The arrest affidavit and investigators' notes state that payments for the property work began in 2022 and went to Perez over time. The filings identify at least one alleged victim as an 82-year-old woman whose husband died in 2025.
According to the bureau, Perez "received more than $1.1 million" from the couple, and investigators say the pattern and size of those payments formed the basis for the felony theft counts. The flow of money and related paperwork, they add, led to the May warrant and criminal filing.
Local context
Cases like this tap into a familiar concern for advocates who say home repair and contractor scams regularly target older homeowners and other vulnerable residents. Complaints about home-improvement fraud remain a stubborn staple of consumer-protection hotlines.
AARP publishes guidance on how to spot shady contractor tactics and what to do if you get burned. For Coloradans, Colorado's Legal Assistance Program connects older adults with legal resources focused on consumer protection and elder abuse.
Legal implications
Under Colorado law, theft offenses are classified by the value of what was allegedly taken, with higher dollar amounts tied to higher-level felonies. Prosecutors have designated the theft charges against Perez as class 3 felonies, which carry significantly higher presumptive penalties than lower-level theft counts.
State law also allows enhanced penalties when alleged victims are considered at-risk based on age or other vulnerabilities. For more detail on how theft and sentencing are structured in Colorado, see the statutes collected at Colorado Revised Statutes.
What’s next
Perez is due back in Gilpin County Court on Aug. 4 at 8:30 a.m., and the district attorney’s office notes that his bond conditions require him to appear for future hearings. Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact law enforcement or the district attorney’s office as the investigation continues.
