A 46-year-old Philadelphia contractor is behind bars after Bucks County investigators say he collected more than $178,000 from homeowners for renovation and addition projects he never finished. Shawn Hagan, who operated Hagan Home Concepts, was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Joseph Falcone and remanded to Bucks County Correctional Facility on bail set at 10 percent of $750,000.
The case began when Bensalem police were contacted by a resident on May 18, 2026, reporting a home improvement agreement gone wrong. According to Bensalem Police, Hagan had agreed to build an addition for that resident for an estimated $72,000, and the homeowner ultimately paid him $46,725 before the project stalled. A separate complaint reached Middletown police on May 28, 2026, when another resident reported a home renovation agreement with Hagan that had also gone sideways.
A Pattern Across Two Townships
The Middletown case involved a far larger sum. Police say that homeowner paid Hagan $107,566 before any work began on a major renovation estimated at $172,700. Hagan reportedly completed only demolition-related activities and some framing work before failing to make what investigators describe as meaningful progress toward the construction and renovation phases, then ceased communication with the resident altogether.
A third victim, tied to an earlier agreement from June 2025, had paid Hagan $24,000 toward an addition estimated at $58,000. Investigators say Hagan failed to even begin that project and never refunded the money. Combined across the three known cases, homeowners paid Hagan a total of $178,291 for work estimated at more than $300,000, according to Daily Voice.
Stop-Work Order and Mounting Charges
Middletown Township building and zoning officials inspected Hagan's work and issued a stop-work order over deficiencies and his failure to follow approved plans, even though he had already begun the project's foundation. Hagan now faces multiple counts of home improvement fraud, theft by deception, deceptive business practices, and receiving stolen property, all graded as third-degree felonies.
Under Pennsylvania criminal statutes 18 Pa.C.S. § 1103 and § 1101, a third-degree felony conviction carries a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000 per count, according to Justia Law. With four separate felony charges spanning three victims, Hagan's potential exposure could compound significantly if he is convicted on multiple counts.
State Law Limits Upfront Deposits
Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, enacted in 2008 to curb contractor fraud, prohibits contractors from collecting an advance payment exceeding one-third of the total contract price plus special-order material costs, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The $107,566 collected upfront on the $172,700 Middletown contract would appear to far exceed that statutory cap. The law also requires contractors who perform more than $5,000 in home improvements annually to register with the state and to use written contracts for any job priced above $500. Records reviewed by the Better Business Bureau show Hagan Home Concepts registered as a Philadelphia-based home improvement business under Pennsylvania contractor registration number PA194223.
Public complaints about Hagan appear to predate the criminal charges by months. Posts on Philadelphia-area consumer warning groups in June 2026 described a project worth more than $100,000 that allegedly failed township inspection and resulted in a stop-work order, with posters citing severe construction defects and temporary housing expenses. Bucks County has seen similar cases before: in October 2025, authorities pursued multi-jurisdictional fraud charges against contractor John D. Paoletti for allegedly taking more than $80,000 in advance payments without completing work in Morrisville and Lower Makefield Township, and in June 2022 the Bucks County District Attorney's Office prosecuted contractor Joseph Eibell, held on $2.5 million bail after allegedly taking more than $210,000 from homeowners for unfinished or unstarted work.
Police Seek Other Possible Victims
Bensalem Township Police Department is asking any additional property owners who contracted with Hagan Home Concepts to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective F. Sean Hayden at 215-633-3732. Because the investigation remains open across both townships, the number of victims and total dollar losses could still grow as the case moves through Bucks County courts.
