A Florida contractor discovered the hard way that when you name your business Incredible Kitchen and Bath, clients assume the word refers to the tile work, not your ability to disappear with their money.
Steven Rounds, 40, was arrested on Oct. 27 when deputies discovered his unusual approach to home remodeling. He is now facing felony allegations of grand theft and misappropriation of construction funds.
The trouble began in April, when a local homeowner hired Rounds to improve their home. Over the next few months, the client made many payments totaling $36,875. In exchange, they had the standard contractor cocktail: unending delays, underpaid subcontractors strolling around looking perplexed, complete radio silence on the phone, and, finally, an abandoned, half-wrecked building site.
According to St. Johns County property crimes detectives, Rounds stole the homeowner’s money “under false pretenses” and clearly decided that acquiring genuine lumber, drywall, or labor was absolutely optional.
After providing the homeowner with the world’s most costly ghosting experience, Rounds was eventually apprehended in Jacksonville, where deputies graciously advised him to suspend his restoration career.
Authorities assume this is not a one-time magic trick. Anyone who paid Rounds or Incredible Kitchen and Bath for fantasy makeovers that turned into pricey heaps of dust is encouraged to contact Detective Maloney at [email protected].
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