Contractor arrested on deception charges

The former owner of Lake City Builders, whose 2006 bankruptcy led to calls for tougher standards for Idaho contractors, was arrested Thursday in Fallon, Nev., on charges of theft by deception.

Myck T. Beard’s home-remodeling business amassed about $500,000 in debt before he filed for bankruptcy and left the state.

His arrest “gives new meaning to the term, ‘You can run, but you can’t hide,’ ” said Paige Lewis, one of Beard’s former customers.

Angry clients said that Beard took their money but failed to finish projects or pay subcontractors. They also accused him of collecting money even after he knew he’d be filing for bankruptcy.

Customers ended up paying out tens of thousands of dollars to remove the liens that unpaid subcontractors filed against their property, according to testimony in Beard’s bankruptcy hearing.

Beard, 42, faces three counts of grand theft by deception in Kootenai County, where he will be extradited to face the charges. Grand theft is a felony. If convicted, the former Post Falls contractor could be fined up to $5,000, or sentenced up to 14 years, for each count.

At his bankruptcy hearing, Beard denied deceiving clients.

“Beard is a very clever businessman,” said Lewis, a retired corrections officer who lives in Athol. “He played the Jesus card.”

Lake City Builders advertised on the radio, which gave the impression that Beard was a successful businessman, several former customers said in interviews last year. In person, he was an amiable man who talked freely about his Christian faith.

Liz Wells said she gave Beard a $5,750 down payment for a covered deck.

“I got nothing for my money,” said the Post Falls resident. “As a single mom going through the phone book and looking for a contractor, boy, did I pick the wrong one.”

As his business troubles mounted, Wells and Lewis said Beard showed up at their homes in tears.

“He came to my house and cried,” Lewis said. “He told me that he would not declare bankruptcy, that he would sell his antique guns and his house to raise the money to pay all the subcontractors.”

Nine subcontractors filed liens against her home for unpaid work, according to Lewis. She said she’s out $136,000 for a home addition and patio that Beard told her would cost $41,000.

In Idaho, homeowners have little recourse when their builder runs into financial trouble, does shoddy work, or fails to pay subcontractors. Idaho contractors aren’t required to post performance bonds, which act as insurance if a contractor defaults on a project. Lewis is disappointed that the Legislature didn’t act last year to make contractors more accountable when problems arise. “It’s really disheartening,” she said. “How many more people will have to lose their shirts?”