Matthew Gates, convicted fraudster, arrested in connection with 2001 battery case
EVANSVILLE — Matthew S. Gates, the former home contractor convicted of defrauding customers across the Tri-State, turned himself in to the authorities on Monday in connection with a 22-year-old domestic battery case, court records show.
The case, which traces back to 2001, is just one of Gates' legal woes. In Vanderburgh, Warrick and Posey counties, Gates recently pleaded guilty to bilking tens of thousands of dollars paid to him by customers of his now-defunct contracting business.
Gates has additional pending cases related to home improvement fraud in Gibson County, and he faced similar accusations in Kentucky, Georgia and Florida over a span of years, according to court records.
More: Local prosecutors considering plea deal for contractor accused in several fraud cases
Monday afternoon, Gates was booked into the Vanderburgh County jail on a warrant for "failure to appear" in the 2001 battery case. A judge issued the warrant for Gates' arrest on July 3 – more than 7,800 days after Gates allegedly missed his court hearing – a docket shows.
Gates turned himself in to the jail, according to court records.
The hearing Gates allegedly shirked was to be held Dec. 12, 2001, to establish the status of Gates' defense counsel. According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Evansville Police Department, Gates was arrested in November 2001 and charged with five counts of misdemeanor battery-domestic violence.
"(The victim) stated (Gates) struck her in the car several times," EPD Officer Stacy Spalding wrote in the years-old affidavit. "She showed me a mark on her chin – and redness – and a mark on her ear. She stated those injuries were caused by Gates hitting her."
The initial assault in the car allegedly continued when Gates and the victim returned to an Egmont Street residence: They both "began breaking things," Spalding wrote, and the pair were reported to have been drinking alcohol.
According to Spalding, Gates told detectives "I was wrong" when confronted with the victim's apparent injuries.
After Gates' 2001 arrest, he posted a $500 bond and was released from jail. When he failed to appear for the status-of-counsel hearing, a judge ordered Gates' bond forfeited, according to Vanderburgh County Superior Court records.
In April 2022, the case files were marked "destroyed."
On Tuesday morning, Gates appeared in Vanderburgh County Superior Court again in connection with the case. During the hearing, Magistrate Judge August J. Straus ordered Gates to be released on his own recognizance, "as (Gates) turned himself in to the jail," records state.
Attorney: Could be 'years' before victims get money back from Gates for alleged home improvement fraud
The resumption of activity in the decades-old case comes after months of courtroom appearances for Gates, who faced a rash of charges in four Indiana counties. Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Diana Moers would not comment on the timing of Gates' arrest.
Gates' attorney, Bob Canada, was not available for comment.
Between March and June, Gates pleaded guilty to theft-related charges in seven cases brought in Vanderburgh, Warrick and Posey counties. In Gibson County, where Gates stands accused of theft in two separate cases, a status hearing is to be held on Aug. 3.
Houston can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Matthew Gates, Indiana contractor convicted of fraud, arrested again
