A Westmoreland County judge on Wednesday purchased a Scottdale contractor accused of bilking customers in three Southwestern Pennsylvania counties to keep on being in jail pending the end result of his pending criminal conditions.
Jason Ray Pirl, 41, was taken into custody Tuesday by Westmoreland County deputy sheriffs next a a few-7 days lookup that ended in a parking whole lot around Smithton.
Pirl is accused of multiple thefts in 13 conditions filed in Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties. Investigators said he took a lot more than $250,000 from buyers for operate that he in no way done.
Investigators in Westmoreland County mentioned Pirl is accused of bilking 3 prospects, which includes one girl who claimed she paid out Pirl $20,500 in December 2020 for transforming and roofing get the job done.
Pirl claimed he used that money to pay dwelling bills as he recovered from a coronary heart assault and surgical procedures, in accordance to court docket documents.
He was once again billed in September by state law enforcement on allegations he took funds from a Hempfield woman for providers not carried out.
Court docket files record a Scottdale deal with for Pirl, who was no cost on bail. But Sheriff James Albert indicated Pirl was believed to be dwelling out of his vehicle in an endeavor to elude capture following a warrant was issued for his arrest in Oct.
Prosecutors declare Pirl violated terms of his pretrial probation when more charges had been filed versus him previously this yr.
Westmoreland Deputy Sheriff John Dixon testified all through a court hearing Wednesday that investigators in the beginning staked out Pirl’s house in Scottdale on Nov. 23 with no results. A confidential informant notified deputies that Pirl was doing work as a flagman for a regional construction company, and an investigation using GPS trackers observed his function-owned truck in the parking great deal close to a truck end in Smithton.
“We saw another person in the car or truck in a reclined situation. He obtained up, commenced the auto and begun to drive it ahead. Deputies drew their weapons and requested him to end,” Dixon testified.
Pirl, who attended Wednesday’s courtroom hearing from the county jail by using video clip conferencing, disputed Dixon’s account.
“I hardly ever knew I experienced a warrant out for me. I was out doing work,” Pirl claimed.
Pirl questioned to be released to household arrest and granted operate launch, a ask for the judge denied but said he could possibly rethink at a later on day and immediately after other detainers in Fayette County are resolved.
“I have been operating each working day to just take treatment of this,” Pirl stated.
Related:
• East Huntingdon guy experiencing a lot more fraud rates more than cash taken for operate not accomplished
• Police: East Huntingdon contractor all over again accused of having revenue for transform get the job done never commenced
Court paperwork suggest Pirl was billed in March with 8 preceding property improvement fraud violations in Westmoreland County — together with alleged incidents in Hempfield, East Huntingdon, Rostraver, Penn and South Huntingdon townships and in Scottdale. These incidents have been noted in between January 2020 and March 2021.
Pirl faces a Dec. 8 preliminary listening to on the most new prices submitted from him in September.
Wealthy Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Overview personnel writer. You can contact Rich by email at [email protected] or through Twitter .
