Contractor to serve six months for home improvement fraud

A Houston man will serve six months in jail after previously pleading guilty to three counts of felony home improvement fraud.

Following his jail time, Jeremy Bowen, 46, will serve probation and must pay restitution.

Bowen was before Judge Craig Karsnitz June 20 for his sentencing. Bowen is alleged to have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from 13 different victims. In the majority of cases, Bowen took money for home improvement work and then didn’t complete the jobs.

Bowen and his attorney, Monika Germano, blamed issues with Bowen’s employees that caused financial problems that led to Bowen not finishing jobs. Germano asked for probation, as Bowen’s family relies on him. He is currently employed, and the felony charges he pleaded guilty to are the lowest variety, Germano argued.  

Deputy Attorney General Jason Cohee left discretion on sentencing to Karsnitz, but called forward several of Bowen’s victims for statements. 

Donna Joyner said Bowen caused her and her family substantial emotional distress and financial hardship after she paid Bowen $43,000 to renovate her pool. She said she had to pay an additional $35,000 to finish the job after Bowen left them high and dry. 

“He took our money and walked away without any kind of remorse,” Joyner said.

Beverly Bonafonte asked Karsnitz to sentence Bowen to as much jail time as allowed for.

“He’s such a scoundrel. He needs to be rehabilitated in jail,” she said.

Additional victims wrote statements that Cohee read. One said Bowen took $30,000 from them to build a pool that he did not complete. Another said Bowen took $42,000 from them to install a pool and described Bowen as “a swindler without scruples.”

When it was his chance to speak before sentencing, Bowen said, “I’m deeply sorry for everything I’ve done to these victims.”

He reiterated that his inability to finish the jobs was due in large part to unreliable employees. Bowen’s mother spoke on his behalf, saying he was not an awful person and should not be sentenced to jail time.

Karsnitz said the length of time and number of victims led him to recommend that Bowen spend some time in jail. 

“The scope of these crimes was very substantial and the devastation caused was substantial,” Karsnitz said. “This went beyond just not being successful at business.”

Karsnitz sentenced Bowen to six months on each of the felony home improvement charges but mandated the time be served concurrently.