My Account Login

Attorney General James and State Police Superintendent Steven G. James Announce Indictment of Washington County Couple for Defrauding Homeowners

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and State Police Superintendent Steven G. James today announced the arrest and arraignment of John McClure, 44, and his wife, Sarah Chambers, 38, of Granville, New York, for allegedly operating a massive contractor fraud scheme in Washington and Warren Counties that defrauded more than a dozen upstate homeowners out of over $1.5 million. The 12-count indictment, unsealed in Washington County Court before Judge Kelly S. McKeighan, charges McClure and Chambers with fraudulently obtaining over $1.2 million in home improvement payments from over a dozen homeowners. A second four-count indictment, unsealed in Warren County Court before the Honorable Robert A. Smith, charges McClure with stealing over $300,000 from four additional homeowners.  

“When hardworking New Yorkers pay for a service, they expect that service to be carried out,” said Attorney General James. “John McClure and Sarah Chambers are charged with agreeing to perform home improvement services for their clients but instead pocketing the money to visit casinos, purchase vehicles, and cover other projects to further their scheme. I thank the State Police for their assistance in putting a stop to this scam and ensuring all those who violate the law are held accountable.”

“This couple willfully misrepresented themselves in order to cheat homeowners out of their hard-earned money,” said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “They had absolutely no regard for the well-being of their victims, inexcusably leaving one without a home. I thank the Attorney General’s office for their invaluable partnership in bringing a measure of justice to those affected by this scam.”

The charges are the result of a joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau (CEFC) and the New York State Police (NYSP). As set forth in the indictments and statements made at arraignment, McClure and Chambers are charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $1.5 million from more than a dozen New York homeowners between September 2019 and August 2023. During that time, McClure allegedly advertised his services on Facebook, Google, Angie’s List, Porch.com, and other websites, using various business names including McClure and Son Constructions, McClure and Sons Construction, JM Escavation (sic) and Demolition Services, and JM & Son Excavation and Demolition. McClure’s advertisements offered home improvement services including home builds and renovations, excavation, and garage, roof, and deck construction.  

McClure allegedly solicited large deposits upfront for home improvement work but then never performed the work, failed to deliver materials he claimed to have purchased with the deposits, and refused to issue refunds to homeowners. Much of the work that was performed by McClure was so substandard that it had to be torn down and rebuilt by other, qualified contractors. After receiving deposits, but before completing agreed upon phases of work, McClure would allegedly demand more payments for additional work, such as mold remediation or roof replacement, which was either not necessary or never performed. In one instance, after accepting a large deposit to begin a project, McClure allegedly falsely claimed his bank account had been “hacked” and the money stolen, when in reality, the money had been spent on personal expenses and used to cover other projects.

Chambers allegedly participated in the scheme by serving as a fake reference to homeowners for McClure and Sons Construction and by drafting contracts and architectural plans for projects that were never completed. Chambers is also alleged to have filed business certificates in order to open bank accounts to receive homeowner funds, and she is further alleged to have withdrawn cash from the accounts at McClure’s request. Chambers allegedly deposited a check that falsely appeared to be a customer’s payment to McClure and Sons Construction into one of the business accounts and then withdrew funds from the account before the bank discovered that the check was counterfeit.

The OAG’s investigation and forensic audit revealed that instead of using homeowners’ money to purchase materials or perform home improvements, McClure used the money for:

  • Personal expenses such as large cash withdrawals;
  • Trips to multiple casinos, including Saratoga Casino and Hotel in Saratoga Springs and Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady;
  • Payments for child support and his mother’s rent;
  • Funding for his overstock and returned merchandise storefront known as MG Sales in the Aviation Mall in Glens Falls North; and
  • Purchases of multiple vehicles for McClure, Chambers, and other family members, including a 1927 Bugatti, a 1985 Lamborghini, a Toyota Sequoia, and a refurbished monster truck.  

The victims of McClure and Chambers’ scheme included two elderly homeowners who each paid over $80,000 toward building their retirement homes. Work never commenced on either project, and as a result of the alleged theft, one victim now resides in a hotel.  

The OAG’s 12-count indictment, unsealed in Washington County Court before Judge Kelly S. McKeighan, charges McClure with six counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a Class C felony), four counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a Class D felony), and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (a Class E felony), and charges Chambers with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, and one count of with Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree (a Class D felony). In a second filed indictment unsealed in Warren County Court before the Honorable Robert A. Smith, McClure is charged with three Counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and one Count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. McClure and Chambers face a maximum possible sentence of up to 10 to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts. McClure was released with electronic monitoring and Chambers was released on her own recognizance.

Any homeowner who believes they were impacted by this scheme is encouraged to contact OAG at McClure.Complaint@ag.ny.gov.

The charges against McClure and Chambers are allegations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.   

Attorney General James thanks NYSP, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, the Warren County District Attorney’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington County Code Enforcement Office for their valuable assistance in this investigation.  

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General John Healy and Cheryl Lee of CEFC, with the assistance of Legal Support Analysts Kai Tsurumaki and Ifu Ojukwu, under the supervision of Supervising Analyst Paul Strocko and Deputy Supervising Analyst Jayleen Garcia. Forensic accounting was performed by Forensic Auditor Investigator Bashiri Kirven, under the supervision of Chief Auditor Kristen Fabbri and Deputy Chief Auditor Sandy Bizzarro of the Forensic Audit Section. CEFC is led by Bureau Chief Stephanie Swenton and Deputy Bureau Chief Joseph G. D’Arrigo. 

Detective Investigator Jason Johnston of the Investigations Bureau handled the criminal investigation under the supervision of Deputy Chief Juanita Bright, Assistant Chief Samuel Scotellaro, and Detective Supervisor John Santorio of the Major Investigations Unit. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Investigator Oliver Pu-Folkes. Both CEFC and the Investigations Bureau are part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

View full experience

Distribution channels: