Scottdale contractor jailed on home improvement fraud charges in 3 counties

A Westmoreland County choose on Wednesday ordered a Scottdale contractor accused of bilking shoppers in a few Southwestern Pennsylvania counties to keep on being in jail pending the final result of his pending legal conditions.

Jason Ray Pirl, 41, was taken into custody Tuesday by Westmoreland County deputy sheriffs adhering to a 3-7 days look for that finished in a parking lot in the vicinity of Smithton.

Pirl is accused of a number of thefts in 13 cases filed in Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties. Investigators stated he took extra than $250,000 from clients for function that he under no circumstances concluded.

Investigators in Westmoreland County reported Pirl is accused of bilking a few shoppers, including a single female who claimed she paid Pirl $20,500 in December 2020 for reworking and roofing do the job.

Pirl claimed he made use of that funds to pay back dwelling costs as he recovered from a coronary heart assault and surgical procedures, in accordance to courtroom data.

He was all over again billed in September by state law enforcement on allegations he took income from a Hempfield girl for expert services not executed.

Court documents record a Scottdale address for Pirl, who was totally free on bail. But Sheriff James Albert indicated Pirl was believed to be residing out of his car in an endeavor to elude seize after a warrant was issued for his arrest in October.

Prosecutors assert Pirl violated terms of his pretrial probation when more prices were submitted from him before this 12 months.

Westmoreland Deputy Sheriff John Dixon testified in the course of a courtroom hearing Wednesday that investigators at first staked out Pirl’s property in Scottdale on Nov. 23 with no achievements. A private informant notified deputies that Pirl was functioning as a flagman for a local building enterprise, and an investigation employing GPS trackers located his do the job-owned truck in the parking good deal in the vicinity of a truck quit in Smithton.

“We noticed an individual in the motor vehicle in a reclined situation. He got up, commenced the auto and started off to travel it forward. Deputies drew their weapons and ordered him to halt,” Dixon testified.

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

“I never ever knew I had a warrant out for me. I was out working,” Pirl said.

Pirl questioned to be released to house arrest and granted do the job launch, a request the judge denied but claimed he might rethink at a afterwards day and after other detainers in Fayette County are settled.

“I have been functioning each and every working day to take care of this,” Pirl claimed.

Related:

• East Huntingdon man facing extra fraud fees over dollars taken for perform not finished
• Law enforcement: East Huntingdon contractor all over again accused of using funds for rework do the job hardly ever started off

Courtroom documents point out Pirl was billed in March with eight prior dwelling advancement fraud violations in Westmoreland County — like alleged incidents in Hempfield, East Huntingdon, Rostraver, Penn and South Huntingdon townships and in Scottdale. People incidents have been reported in between January 2020 and March 2021.

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