Contractor Craig Smith of Vision Homes Gets 21 Month Sentence
Smith’s lawyers argued that he wrongfully took 200,000 dollars merely to keep his business afloat and then made poor business decisions.
Opposition lawyers responded by stating Smith forged names on checks and kept moving money back and forth between accounts while failing to fulfill his duties to build houses.
Geoff Korous, Dunlap Home Owner,"Built about 85% to 95% of that home before he met with my wife and myself and told us that he couldn’t finish our house because he had run out of money".
Geoff Korous tells News 12 he gave Smith 400,000 dollars to build his home at the Freedonia Mountain Nature Resort. He claims that other Fredonia Mountain Resort home owners were also left in the lurch when Smith told them he was bankrupt.
"I had prepared myself to experience a situation where Craig may receive some other form of sentencing rather than incarceration".
Tim Coleman of Land in Tennessee, the developers of the Fredonia Mountain Resort say they have not had dealings with Smith in more than three years.
"He was a builder and he had his own building company and he built in the development. There is no relationship between Craig Smith and Land in Tennessee now and these allegations have nothing to do with Land in Tennessee".
Smith was labeled a white collar criminal by a fired up judge who told a tense court, Smith’s actions involving illegal movement of money were similar to a Ponzi scheme. Smith’s lawyers responded by stating he had not committed violent crimes and was a first time offender who had shown remorse. Smith was granted until November 30th to get his affairs in order before serving time. He will also face restrictions on getting a contractor’s license after he’s released.
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