Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway
JEFFERSON CITY — The owner of Tri County Fence and Deck has been sentenced on 43 felony counts and ordered to repay more than $257,000 in restitution after a case involving fraudulent residential contracting conduct in St. Charles County, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s office has announced.
Craig J. Sutton pleaded guilty to 42 felony counts of deceptive business practices and one felony count of stealing.
A judgment entered July 14 ordered him to pay more than $257,300 in restitution. He was sentenced to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections on the felony stealing count and four years on each count of deceptive business practices.
The judge also ordered that Sutton may no longer own or operate a home renovation or fencing company.
The case involved customers who sought fencing and related construction services through Tri County Fence and Deck.
Sutton used the company to solicit large upfront payments for residential contracting work, largely involving fencing construction, according to the attorney general’s office.
After receiving those payments, Sutton performed negligible work at homes and, in most cases, did no work at all. The lack of work left consumers without the services they had been promised and with significant financial losses.
The restitution order requires Sutton to repay more than $257,300. The attorney general described the judgment as restitution for Missouri consumers affected by the contracting conduct.
“Contractors who intentionally mislead and exploit Missouri families are committing serious crimes and will continue to be held accountable,” Hanaway said in a statement. “Strong enforcement not only delivers restitution to victims, it also deters future misconduct and protects consumers across the state.”
A St. Charles County grand jury indicted Sutton in August 2023. The indictment was followed by his guilty pleas to 43 felony counts, including 42 deceptive business practices counts and a felony theft count.
The July 14 judgment addressed both Sutton’s sentence and the restitution owed as a result of the guilty pleas.
The 10-year Missouri Department of Corrections sentence applies to the felony stealing count.
The four-year sentences apply to each of the deceptive business practices counts.
Sutton’s conduct centered on taking upfront payments for residential work connected largely to fencing construction, then failing to provide the promised services.
The attorney general said the pattern targeted Missouri consumers seeking fencing and related construction work.
In many instances, no work was completed after customers paid. In other instances, the work performed was negligible. The result, according to the announcement, was that consumers were left without the residential contracting services for which they had paid.
The order prohibiting Sutton from owning or operating a home renovation or fencing company prevents him from running businesses in those areas. The restriction was included in the judge’s order following the guilty pleas and sentencing.
Hanaway said enforcement in cases involving intentional deception by contractors serves two purposes: providing restitution to victims and deterring future misconduct.
The sentencing and restitution order conclude a case that began with the August 2023 grand jury indictment in St. Charles County.
Sutton’s 43 felony counts stemmed from his operation of Tri County Fence and Deck and the company’s solicitation of large upfront payments for fencing and related residential contracting work.
The attorney general’s announcement identified the affected customers as Missouri consumers and said they experienced substantial financial losses after paying for services that were not provided.
