A Shrewsbury plumbing contractor accused of taking thousands of dollars from homeowners and walking away from unfinished jobs has been sentenced to seven years of probation and six months of house arrest. Adam Jacoby, owner of Jacoby Plumbing, pleaded guilty to theft by deception after a string of complaints that stretched back years across York County, Pennsylvania.
Jacoby entered guilty pleas across five separate criminal cases in York County, resolving four counts of theft by deception and one count of receiving advance payment for services and failing to perform. As reported by Local 21 News, Jacoby must pay $3,500 in restitution to one victim and is barred from contacting that person. His sentence can close after five years if he meets all conditions and pays restitution in full, the outlet reported.
Judge Bars Him From Contracting Directly With Homeowners
At his sentencing this week, the judge prohibited Jacoby from operating as an independent contractor during his court supervision, restricting his plumbing work strictly to subcontracting under general contractors, per Local 21 News. He is now barred from taking on plumbing contract work directly with consumers, though he may still earn income doing subcontracting through other contractors, Local 21 News reported. The arrangement is meant to let him keep working while preventing him from directly billing homeowners again.
The case traces back to May 2025, when York County Regional Police filed felony deceptive business practices and theft charges against Jacoby after he allegedly accepted a $2,000 advance payment for a shower installation and PVC pipe repair in York Township, then ceased communication and never finished the work. Jacoby allegedly refused to refund the homeowner's payment.
Complaints Stretch Back Years
One unfinished plumbing job dates back to 2019.
Local 21 News reported that Shanan Donivan hired Jacoby in 2019 to replace copper piping in her home, but he failed to complete the job. Donivan said she ended up paying more than $70,000 to fix her home after the incomplete work, and reported that pinhole leaks developed in copper piping behind a wall that had never been replaced. She said a restoration company estimated the leaks would continue for five to six months or longer, and she filed a complaint with Pennsylvania State Police, according to the outlet.
Another victim described to Local 21 News paying Jacoby $4,000 to replace a furnace, only to be left without heat during the winter after the work was never completed.
A Facebook Group for Homeowners
A Facebook group called Jacoby Plumbing Victims existed.
State contractor registration is required of home improvement providers under Pennsylvania law.
What State Consumer Protection Law Requires
Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act bars contractors on contracts priced above $1,000 from collecting an advance deposit that exceeds one-third of the total contract price plus the cost of any special-order materials, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The law also mandates that any home improvement project valued over $500 be executed through a written contract signed by both parties that explicitly displays the contractor's official state registration number, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency notes.
Home improvement fraud under 73 P.S. § 517.8 can be graded as a third-degree felony in Pennsylvania, carrying potential statutory penalties of up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000 per count. Violations of the consumer protection act also automatically constitute violations of the state's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, which authorizes courts to award treble, or triple, civil damages to homeowners.
Jacoby's case follows a similar prosecution in Bucks County, where contractor Shawn Hagan was charged with fraud last month.
