MANISTEE — The Manistee County Sheriff’s Office said it has investigated several contractor fraud complaints that have led to the arrests of two men on felony charges.
Detectives arrested Kit Alden Potter, 44, of Kalkaska, following multiple complaints that he accepted money for construction work that was either never started or never completed.
Potter faces six counts of felony larceny by conversion of $1,000 to $20,000, two counts of felony larceny by conversion of $20,000 or more, and one count of felony non-sufficient funds check. He is currently on bond as his case moves through Manistee County Court.
In a separate case, deputies arrested Scot Eric Latimer, 52, of Ludington, on similar allegations tied to construction projects.
Latimer faces two counts of felony false pretenses with intent to defraud of $100,000 or more, one count of felony false pretenses of $50,000 but less than $100,000, one count of felony false pretenses of $20,000 but less than $50,000, and one count of felony larceny by conversion of $1,000 to $20,000.
The sheriff’s office said it hopes sharing details of these incidents will raise awareness, help identify additional victims, and prevent future cases.
Officials encouraged residents hiring contractors to thoroughly vet them before signing agreements and to monitor both construction accounts and project progress throughout the work.