Crystal River roofer, Florida prosecutors settle criminal case | Crime & Courts

A prison case alleging a Crystal River roofer stole his customers’ deposits concluded with a plea agreement for probation, a large repayment prepare, and no felony conviction.

Jason Lee Beville pleaded no contest Tuesday, April 5, in Osceola County Circuit Court docket to a lesser demand of grand theft in exchange for 60 months of probation and a training course of motion to repay four victims $31,000 in restitution, according to court data and attorneys.

Beville’s adjudication of guilt for the third-degree felony was also withheld in accordance with the 39-calendar year-old’s plea deal with the Florida Attorney General’s Business of Statewide Prosecution.

Beville also owes the Florida Office of Company and Skilled Regulation (DBPR) $19,801 for the payment presented to a few other victims, but Beville’s payments will prioritize individuals who’ve but to be compensated.

In accordance to court docket documents, Beville has to place a $3,000 down payment to restitution inside 7 times of entering his newest plea, and need to make a minimal month-to-month payment of $500.

Beville’s credit card debt of restitution, which is thanks 60 days in advance of his probation finishes, outweighs the court docket buy to pay back the Florida Section of Legislation Enforcement $21,682 for the price of its investigation, and the Place of work of Statewide Prosecution $4,688 for prosecuting him.

If he fails to spend the DBPR by the deadline, according to court docket documents, Beville won’t be in violation of his probation.

Beville was the proprietor of Crystal River-based mostly Elite Roofing & Gutters Inc. – at first Leading Knotch Roofing Inc. – considering that July 2006, in accordance to Florida businesses records.

He voluntarily dissolved his organization in September 2020 just after the DBPR revoked his roofing license the month prior to.

Beville turned himself in to Citrus County authorities in May perhaps 2021 just after a warrant was issued for his arrest on a 2nd-diploma felony of grand theft between $20,000 and $100,000.

According to prior stories, state prosecutors alleged Beville defrauded a Brevard County resident and 4 Osceola County consumers out of $36,000, relationship back to March 2018.

Beville, according to the affidavit for his arrest, would take payments for roofing perform but either didn’t complete the work or did not start off it.

Beville’s attorneys, Michael Kovach Jr. and Ashley Baker, argued their shopper didn’t dedicate theft as it is described by Florida legislation.

In plea negotiations with the prosecution, Baker – Kovach’s daughter and the taking care of lover of his Inverness-based Kovach Regulation Business – presented documentation of Beville putting the deposits toward the completion of his roofing contracts, and not pocketing them.

This could include things like pulling permits or buying elements.

“In each and every single one particular of these roofing contracts … there was one thing done albeit, just a minor anything was accomplished,” Kovach explained. “Anything that was done in the furtherance of fulfilling the agreement negates the prison intent, and which is what it is all about.”

Plea discussions resulted in prosecutors settling to reduce Beville’s theft cost from a next-degree to a third-diploma felony, and they also agreed to have Beville’s felony conviction withheld.

In addition, Beville is not allowed to either personal or partly own a roofing organization even though on probation, and are unable to get the job done with the funds or offer purchasing of any roofer.

Beville need to also post his personal and organization lender account quantities to probation officers the moment each and every 90 times.

Kovach reported Beville’s performing in sales for a area roofing enterprise, and “does not do any of matters the state had issues about.”

“He basically sells roofing work,” Kovach reported.

Kylie Mason, spokeswoman for the Office environment of Statewide Prosecution, claimed Beville’s sentence “was pursuant to the sentencing guidelines” the office “must use in all felony criminal scenarios as promulgated by the Florida Legislature.”

“The Office environment of Statewide Prosecution also preferred to safe restitution for victims as soon as possible,” Mason added.

Kovach mentioned almost nothing was being sought from Beville other than compensation, generating his situation greatest suited for a civil courtroom instead of criminal a person.

“They simply just employed a felony prosecution to get a civil treatment,” Kovach claimed. “The resolution of the circumstance in the style it was settled was not only in Jason’s finest curiosity, but in the greatest interests of all people, and he did what place him in the least volume of hazard for his liberty.”

Beville went by way of a similar lawful ordeal soon after Citrus County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested him in April 2019 on accusations he cheated two locals out of a full $14,700 in roofing deposits from January and April 2018.

In March 2020, the Condition Attorney’s Place of work dropped Beville’s felony situations since there was no evidence Beville pocketed the dollars for himself with no the intent of executing the roof function.

Prosecutors claimed Beville manufactured attempts to get roofing components and laborers with the deposits but was unsuccessful in finishing his contracts, and famous the challenges should be resolved in civil courtroom.