Roofing contractor pleads guilty to fraud, must repay numerous victims

Kenneth Allen BirdKent County Jail

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A roofing contractor has admitted he took down payments but never finished the work, leaving a number of people with leaky roofs and lower bank account balances.

Kenneth Allen Bird pleaded guilty to defrauding an East Grand Rapids couple of $6,125 for a $12, 250 roofing job he never completed at the home of Christopher and Beth Chappus.

The Chappus' check was cashed in June and Bird was supposed to start the work in July, but it never happened, according to court records.

Related: Wyoming roofing contractor, subject of complaints since September, now charged criminally

In a police interview Oct. 15, Bird allegedly said he was unable to do the work because customers failed to pay him. He said he hoped to complete the work or refund the money he received to avoid the criminal charges.

But Bird entered his guilty plea Monday, Feb. 2, before Kent County Circuit Court Judge George Buth.

As part of the plea, the Kent County Prosecutor's Office said it will forego some additional charges as long as Bird agrees to repay victims countywide who say they have been jilted out of as much as $9,000 each.

The plea agreement leaves open the final amount of restitution that will be calculated prior to Bird's sentencing date on March 18, giving time for more potential victims to come forward.

Bird's sentencing guidelines have him looking at a potential maximum sentence of three years in prison, but the desire of the victims to see restitution may mean Judge Buth will keep the sentence to a minimum so Bird can earn money to make amends.

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Roofing contractor pleads guilty to fraud, must repay numerous victims