Police: Man took money for unbuilt fence

By PHILIP A. HOLMES - pholmes@sungazette.com
When Montoursville resident John Mook tried to track down the whereabouts last November of the contractor he paid to put up a fence on his property, he learned the man was an inmate at the Lycoming County Prison, borough police said.

Nicholas Darwin Brown, 25, faces deception-related charges for allegedly cheating Mook out of $3,200 after allegedly failing to install a fence last year, police said.

Mook of 630 Broad St. hired the Upper Fairfield Township man on Oct. 19, giving him $3,200 to purchase supplies for the fence, Patrolman William Hegemeyer said in an affidavit.

The two men made an agreement that Mook would pay Brown an additional $2,000 for his labor when the project was competed, Hegemeyer said, adding that the work was to be done in four weeks.

When no work had been done by Nov. 19, Mook tried to contact Brown, Hegemeyer said. Mook soon “discovered the Brown was incarcerated at the county prison,” the officer said.

Prison officials said that at the time, Brown, who lives at 122 Kuhns Road, was jailed on burglary and trespassing-related charges, and that he was released on Jan. 23.

A week after Brown was released, Mook made yet a second attempt to get the man to purchase the materials and begin the project, Hegemeyer said.

However, after that attempt failed, Mook call police on March 19 to file a complaint.

Brown, who has once again been jailed, this time on a bench warrant and other court matters since April 8, was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Kenneth T. Schriner Jr. on felony charges of theft by deception and receiving stolen property. He was recommitted in default of $2,500 bail.