By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A builder has entered a plea on charges alleging he took money from a local man for a home construction project but never did any work.

32-year-old Robert McTavish Jr. of Northville was charged last year with one count of fraudulent use of a building contract fund. In court on Friday, he entered a conditional no contest plea to the charge. He will be sentenced on April 1st, and could face up to three years in prison. However, as a condition of the agreement, he can withdraw his plea at the time of sentencing for any reason. Prosecutors recommended the deal in order to give McTavish time to make full restitution prior to sentencing.

In September of 2019, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau began investigating a reported theft of over $120,000 from an Iosco Township man. The investigation revealed that the victim had hired McTavish for a home construction project.

The Sheriff’s office says the investigation also revealed that McTavish withdrew the disbursements on the construction loan but failed to complete any work.