Patrick Scott Cartwright, 47, will spend five years in prison for stealing money from a Lane County homeowner who hired him through a church friend for a construction project. Now deceased, the victim gave Cartwright $1,881 for a county building permit he never purchased and $27,500 up front to cover about half the costs of adding a master bedroom to the house. At the time of the project, in 2011, the victim was age 89. Her daughter and son-in-law planned to move in as caretakers. Cartwright did some preliminary work on the project but did not actually start construction. Lane County Circuit Court Judge Suzanne Chanti earlier this month sentenced Cartwright to the 60 months in prison following jury verdicts of guilty of theft and aggravated theft. The aggravated theft conviction carried a mandatory prison sentence because the victim was over age 65. At the time of the project, Cartwright worked under a license obtained by his wife, Northwest General Contractors, Inc. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) suspended the license in September 2012, after it found the business had employees but lacked workers’ compensation insurance. Patrick Cartwright had been previously cited for working as an unlicensed contractor. The CCB’s Special Investigations Unit continued to pursue Cartwright by working with the Lane County District Attorney’s Office on the criminal case. “This case underscores the need to check references, get multiple bids, and believe your gut when something seems too good to be true” CCB Enforcement Manager Stan Jessup said. “People are often tempted to skip those steps when dealing with an acquaintance or friend of a friend.” Because Cartwright worked under a license, the business had purchased the required $20,000 surety bond. The victim’s family was able to access the bond and recover $20,000 of their losses. If you suspect a construction scam, call local law enforcement agencies or the CCB at 503-378-4621.
