A felony fraud charge has been formally filed against contractor Matthew Banks.
Banks was arrested back in August in Okaloosa County on a larceny charge from the Pensacola Police Department for failing to provide a refund. Now, the State Attorney’s Office has formally charged Banks with felony fraud.
A Pensacola resident paid Banks $6,740 by check for a renovation on North G Street in Pensacola. Banks, according to police, never started work and would not provide a refund despite the homeowner’s demand.
It is the only known formal criminal charge against Banks. However, the contractor oversight boards in both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties have taken multiple actions against him and ordered him to pay well over $1 million in restitution.
State officials have said they expect additional criminal charges will be filed against Banks as an investigation continues.
