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VIRGINIA, USA — Virginia home contractor Richard Craig Tadlock was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday after his construction fraud conviction.
Judge John Tran also imposed five years of supervised probation and restitution of nearly $2 million.
"I am relieved, elated. The emotions are running the full spectrum right now," said Jenna Ferrell, standing outside Fairfax County Courthouse Thursday.
Ferrell, along with other families who testified at Thursday's sentencing hearing, said Tadlock agreed to build their homes, and either wouldn't finish or didn't even start the projects. In every case, the homeowners said Tadlock drew money down on their home construction loans.
"This is not something that ends today for the families who have to adjust to what he did to them," said Alan Ditto, a victim of Tadlock. "This is financial. This is emotional."
Several times during the hearing, Tadlock had to be admonished by the judge for speaking out of turn. At one point, he told the judge, "I have nothing to lose."
Steve Descanso, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s attorney, called Tadlock's sentence lengthy but added that the penalty sends a clear message to other contractors and reflects the impact of such crimes.
"White collar crime can have a devastating effect on people's lives," said Descanso. "It really robs them of their future, their health."
Allegations against Tadlock date back to the 1990s. That's when Alan Downes first met him. He hired Tadlock to build his house and, like so many others, had to hire another contractor to complete the work Tadlock abandoned.
"The man got what he deserved," said Downes.
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