PPD: Okaloosa Sheriff's Office deputies arrest Escambia contractor Matthew Banks
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office arrested Matthew Banks, owner of Banks Construction LLC, after the Pensacola Police Department issued a warrant for his arrest.
Banks had been the subject of numerous complaints related to allegations he kept deposits for home renovation projects his company never completed.
The Okaloosa Department of Corrections website indicates Banks was booked into jail Wednesday afternoon on a charge of a contractor failing to provide a refund, a third-degree felony, stemming from Escambia County. He was released on $2,500 bond approximately 40 minutes later, according to jail records.
Banks' complaints: Dozens of people allege Escambia contractor took their money but never fixed their homes
His revocation: Contractor Matt Banks' Escambia County license revoked for failure to pay restitution
In case you missed it: Santa Rosa revokes license of Pensacola contractor Matt Banks amid fraud allegations
Banks' company has been inundated with complaints from clients who accuse him of not finishing — and sometimes not even starting — work home remodels they've paid for. Multiple clients have reported giving the company tens of thousands of dollars for down payments on the work.
According to the U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, Banks filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday.
The former contractor had his license revoked in Escambia County Thursday morning, and had his license revoked in Santa Rosa County Wednesday afternoon.
The Escambia County revocation stems from his failure to pay restitution to a client as ordered by the county Contractor Competency Board.
In Santa Rosa County, he lost his license after the Building Code Board of Adjustments and Appeals unanimously found Banks guilty of violating two Florida statutes while working on a home in Gulf Breeze.
Banks is under investigation by the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, for possible fraud charges.
Benjamin Johnson can be reached at bjohnson@pnj.com or 850-435-8578
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Police issue arrest warrant for Banks Construction owner
