Crooked Caledonia Contractor Finally Pleads Guilty to Fudging $190K

LIVINGSTON COUNTY – After more than a year in court, a contractor pled guilty on Tuesday to perpetrating a multi-county contracting scam that defrauded several homeowners of approximately $190,000.

Kurt Kline, 46, pled guilty to felony Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. Over the recommendation of Assistant District Attorney Joshua Tonra, Judge Robert Wiggins allowed Kline to remain out of jail on bail until sentencing in June.

“I’m still a little confused as to why he’s out of jail, but things seem to be going in the right direction,” said Jim Kraus, a homeowner whom Kline defrauded for about $100,000. “It’s progress. This has been going on and on.”

Kline was indicted in August 2015 for Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Grand Larceny in the Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. He was charged by Superior Court Information with six more counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree in February 2016.

Kline’s sentence will include prison time, but how long will hinge on the amount of stolen money he is able to return before sentencing on June 21.

“The people are recommending a guilty plea to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree as a second felony offender with a sentence recommendation of 5 to 10 years [in prison],” said Tonra. “If the defendant is able to come up with $40,000 of restitution in advance, the sentence recommendation will be 3 to 6 years.”

Tonra added that the DA’s Office will not go along with any further adjournments to allow Kline to come up with restitution.

Kline’s attorney, Raymond Sciarrino, said that Kline has already come up with some of the restitution by selling a parcel of land.

“If [Kline] does come up with the restitution,” said Kraus, “we will see some of it but it won’t come close to what he took.”