
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 13, 1995                   TAG: 9509130069
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

BUILDER'S TERM SUSPENDED

A Franklin County builder received a six-year suspended prison sentence Tuesday for construction fraud and was ordered to repay more than $20,000 to homeowners for additions he never completed.

John Cusack, 40, of Rocky Mount pleaded guilty in Bedford County Circuit Court to two counts of construction fraud in May. Tuesday, he received a three-year suspended sentence on each count.

"This is one case where justice is better served by making him work and pay back his victims rather than going to jail," said Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Krantz.

Cusack received money in advance for remodeling jobs he never completed. He was convicted earlier of operating as a contractor without a license, a misdemeanor.

He also used other contractors' license numbers on forms and wrote letters to customers on stationery belonging to contractors with whom he wasn't employed, according to Krantz.

Under Virginia law, if a homeowner gives a remodeler written notice, the remodeler has 15 days to complete the project or refund the homeowner's money. Krantz said the homeowners gave written notice, but Cusack put them off longer than 15 days.

by CNB