For dozens of St. Charles County homeowners who paid for fences and decks that never fully materialized, a long-running saga finally has an ending in court. Local contractor Craig J. Sutton, owner of Tri County Fence and Deck, was ordered this week to repay more than $257,000 after pleading guilty to a stack of fraud-related charges tied to unfinished jobs. The July 14 judgment and sentencing cap a multi-year case that left customers out thousands of dollars and ultimately led officials to yank the company’s permit.
Attorney General: Restitution, Felony Counts And A Business Ban
According to a press release from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, Sutton pleaded guilty to 42 felony counts of deceptive business practices and one count of felony stealing. He was ordered to repay more than $257,300 in restitution. The release states that the court imposed a 10-year term on the stealing count and four years on each deceptive-business count, and it also bars Sutton from owning or operating any home-improvement or fencing company going forward.
Neighbors Say Deposits Vanished With Little Work To Show
Local interviews with victims lay out the human side of the case: customers say they handed over thousands of dollars up front and saw little or no work completed. In an investigation published by First Alert 4, homeowner Daniel Canavan said he paid a $3,198 deposit for an aluminum fence that was never finished. Another homeowner, Jonathan Schuchmann, told the station he paid about $3,000 as a down payment.
First Alert 4 also reports that the judge suspended a 10-year prison term on the condition that Sutton successfully complete probation and repay victims, and that he has been ordered to make $4,500 monthly payments beginning Sept. 1, 2026.
How The Case Took Shape
The Attorney General’s Office says the case stems from an August 2023 St. Charles County grand-jury indictment that followed a wave of consumer complaints. Prosecutors presented evidence that Sutton routinely solicited large up-front payments, did negligible or no work, and then left customers to hire replacement contractors to complete their fences and decks, according to the Attorney General’s release.
What Homeowners And Other Victims Can Do
Attorney General Hanaway’s office urges any Missourian who believes they were defrauded to file a consumer complaint. Victims can call the Consumer Protection hotline at 800-392-8222 or submit an online complaint through the Attorney General’s website. Officials recommend that homeowners keep signed contracts and detailed payment records, verify permits and licenses before turning over large deposits, and consider linking payments to verified progress inspections.
Wentzville Mayor Nick Guccione told local reporters that the city pulled Tri County’s business permit after residents complained, a move that underscores how local regulators can sometimes spot bad actors before they move on to the next neighborhood.
