Contractor convicted of stealing from Stoughton nurse – NBC Boston
A Massachusetts jury discovered a former Fall River enterprise proprietor responsible of stealing $25,000 from a nurse as an alternative of putting in a yard pool at her Stoughton dwelling.
Larry Westgate listened to the decision contained in the Stoughton District Court docket on Tuesday and shook his head in disbelief.
Choose Gloriann Moroney sentenced Westgate to a one-year jail sentence that can be suspended if he pays again the $25,000 over the subsequent 5 years.
Rose Khnaizir, who employed Westgate for the pool undertaking in March 2021, acquired the information from the NBC10 Boston Investigators throughout her nursing shift. Following the decision, she stepped outdoors the hospital for a couple of minutes to share her response.
“I’m so relieved. Justice is lastly served,” Khnaizir stated.
NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston
Through the trial, Khnaizir testified about giving Westgate a verify for $25,000 to order gear and break floor on the undertaking.
Nonetheless, months handed and nothing had occurred. Khnaizir learn a sequence of textual content messages between her and the contractor through the testimony.
They detailed her makes an attempt to get a progress replace concerning the pool. Finally, she repeatedly requested to get a refund of her financial savings from working nonstop through the pandemic.
NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston
“I would like my a refund,” Khnaizir learn from a textual content message on the witness stand. “I work actually onerous for it.”
When NBC10 Boston first interviewed Khnaizir in 2023, she had tried to pursue prison costs, however police instructed her it was a “civil matter.” That may be a widespread grievance from owners over the course of the “To Catch a Contractor” investigative sequence.
NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston
Nonetheless, that modified after the NBC10 Boston investigation about Westgate and his enterprise, All Phases Renovations.
As we first reported, indignant clients shaped a personal Fb group to commerce horror tales and share recommendation. The group finally swelled to 80 members after we revealed our investigation.
Within the wake of our reporting, Khnaizir returned to the Stoughton Police Division and acquired a a lot totally different response.
Throughout testimony, Detective Daniel Barber stated it was not unusual for provide chain points to trigger dwelling enchancment undertaking delays through the pandemic. By the point Khnaizir renewed her grievance in 2023, the police evaluation of the scenario had modified.
William Pusateri could possibly be paving a street again to jail, having twice served time for stealing from clients.
“The investigation was primarily relaunched at that time, and that is when the police division pursued motion in opposition to the defendant,” Barber testified.
After the conviction, Westgate spoke with the NBC10 Boston Investigators on the courthouse steps.
“All I need to do is simply get the woman again her cash and transfer on,” Westgate stated. “I am sorry it turned out this manner, however it wasn’t what it was meant to be.”
NBC10 Boston authorized analyst Michael Coyne stated the responsible verdict is important due to the best way the regulation is crafted in Massachusetts. In an effort to show larceny by false pretense, prosecutors have to point out proof a contractor by no means meant to finish a undertaking on the level cash first exchanges arms.
We glance again at a few of the most vital developments of the final 12 months in our award-winning “To Catch a Contractor” sequence.
Coyne believes the yearslong “To Catch a Contractor” sequence is getting the eye of authorities.
“I feel it is made an enormous distinction. I feel it is modified the angle of lots of people in regulation enforcement, and even the district lawyer’s workplace,” Coyne stated. “I feel the sequence and your work has actually opened folks’s minds up as to how widespread the issue is.”
Westgate is now the third contractor to be criminally convicted within the wake of an NBC10 Boston investigation. That group consists of former pool contractor, Steve Docchio, and paving contractor, William Pusateri.
Westgate filed for chapter in 2023, whereas owners fumed about his new property in Fall River, decked out with a Bruins-themed mancave, or social media posts about his seaside holidays.
The U.S. Trustee — the arm of the Division of Justice that polices the chapter system — later requested monetary information like tax returns and deposed Westgate.
Federal court docket information present Westgate voluntarily dropped his chapter case in October, which means he’ll stay on the hook for all of the excellent money owed.
Westgate additionally ran afoul of state regulators in 2024 for illegally promoting puppies from his dwelling.
Khnaizir expressed aid that she remained persistent for 5 years to get a way of accountability.
“I am hoping this can be a lesson discovered and folks do not get away with issues like this anymore,” she stated.
