Crime & Safety
State Police Charge EG Contractor with Obtaining Money under False Pretenses
Police say Thomas Primeau, owner of Philip Ryan Homes, bilked a homeowner out of $28,000 by submitting false invoices.
The Rhode Island State Police have arrested a 56-year-old East Greenwich contractor for obtaining money under false pretenses.
Police said Thomas J. Primeau, of 30 Trappers Lane, East Greenwich, was hired to build a house in East Greenwich and entered into a "cost plus contract" agreement with the homeowner.
That arrangement would give Primeau a 12 percent management fee on top of the cost of the work. But police said Primeau submitted fraudulent invoices for payment, resulting in overcharges of $28,213.86.
"The investigation revealed that Primeau kept the funds for his own use and that none of his subcontractors shared in the fraudulent overcharges," police said in a release.
Primeau, the owner of Philip Ryan Homes, LTD, was arraigned in Third Division District Court before Judge William C. Clifton and released on $20,000 personal recognizance.
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