Prosecutors allege Michael Anthony Stewart, 43, attempted to deprive a homeowner of the use of her property. Stewart owns a company called Budget Home Repair of St. Joseph.
Stewart told News-Press Now that he is “innocent and will have paperwork to prove it.”
The homeowner had a sump pump failure and the defendant allegedly represented the cost of repairs to be $25,700. Stewart is alleged to have claimed failure to do so would require the homeowner to have to tear the property down, according to court documents.
Richard Shelton, a St. Joseph Police Department detective, stated in court documents that Stewart overcharged for work not needed and did so by making false claims.
Stewart was arraigned Monday before Buchanan County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Robb. He appeared with his attorney, Michael Insco.
Insco waived formal arraignment for his client and asked for a one-month delay to try and work the case out with Ron Holliday, the assistant Buchanan County prosecutor.
Holliday asked that the case be assigned for trial.
Robb set the case for a three-day trial beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 23. The judge also set the case for status review at 9 a.m. Friday, May 26.
Stewart remains free on a $25,000 cash bond.
The company, started in 1976 by Stewart’s uncle, advertises on several Internet sites as a foundation specialist. Home Advisor, an Internet company, shows Budget with four rating comments up until 2014, with a five-star rating.
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