Scottdale contractor jailed on home improvement fraud charges in 3 counties

A Westmoreland County judge on Wednesday purchased a Scottdale contractor accused of bilking customers in 3 Southwestern Pennsylvania counties to continue being in jail pending the final result of his pending legal cases.

Jason Ray Pirl, 41, was taken into custody Tuesday by Westmoreland County deputy sheriffs subsequent a a few-7 days lookup that finished in a parking good deal in the vicinity of Smithton.

Pirl is accused of a number of thefts in 13 circumstances submitted in Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties. Investigators reported he took much more than $250,000 from buyers for operate that he hardly ever completed.

Investigators in Westmoreland County said Pirl is accused of bilking three customers, together with one female who claimed she paid Pirl $20,500 in December 2020 for remodeling and roofing get the job done.

Pirl claimed he made use of that revenue to fork out living expenditures as he recovered from a coronary heart assault and medical procedures, according to court docket documents.

He was yet again billed in September by state police on allegations he took cash from a Hempfield woman for providers not carried out.

Court documents record a Scottdale handle for Pirl, who was absolutely free on bail. But Sheriff James Albert indicated Pirl was thought to be living out of his motor vehicle in an attempt to elude capture after a warrant was issued for his arrest in October.

Prosecutors claim Pirl violated conditions of his pretrial probation when more fees ended up filed versus him previously this year.

Westmoreland Deputy Sheriff John Dixon testified all through a court docket listening to Wednesday that investigators originally staked out Pirl’s home in Scottdale on Nov. 23 with no success. A confidential informant notified deputies that Pirl was doing the job as a flagman for a area building business, and an investigation working with GPS trackers found his function-owned truck in the parking ton in close proximity to a truck cease in Smithton.

“We observed an individual in the automobile in a reclined posture. He acquired up, started the vehicle and began to travel it ahead. Deputies drew their weapons and purchased him to stop,” Dixon testified.

Pirl, who attended Wednesday’s court hearing from the county jail through video clip conferencing, disputed Dixon’s account.

“I by no means realized I had a warrant out for me. I was out working,” Pirl stated.

Pirl questioned to be unveiled to home arrest and granted function launch, a ask for the judge denied but mentioned he could possibly reconsider at a later on date and immediately after other detainers in Fayette County are settled.

“I have been doing work every working day to choose care of this,” Pirl explained.

Relevant:

• East Huntingdon person experiencing much more fraud prices over funds taken for operate not completed
• Law enforcement: East Huntingdon contractor once again accused of having dollars for transform do the job under no circumstances started off

Court docket files point out Pirl was charged in March with eight preceding home enhancement fraud violations in Westmoreland County — together with alleged incidents in Hempfield, East Huntingdon, Rostraver, Penn and South Huntingdon townships and in Scottdale. Those people incidents were documented concerning January 2020 and March 2021.

Pirl faces a Dec. 8 preliminary listening to on the most the latest costs submitted versus him in September.