A Naples contractor pleaded guilty Friday to stealing customer deposits in two additional home improvement cases in Schuyler County.
Joel Smith, 67, pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree grand larceny, both Class D felonies, according to the Schuyler County District Attorney’s Office.
The Nov. 6 pleas resolved the two remaining indictments against Smith following his Oct. 16 jury convictions for second-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records.
During the guilty pleas, Smith admitted accepting deposits from two customers for home improvement projects in Schuyler County and intentionally using more than $3,000 of the deposit money for purposes unrelated to the projects, prosecutors said.
He also admitted withholding the money after the customers demanded its return, according to the district attorney’s office.
Smith remains held on $5 million cash bail.
Sentencing in all three matters is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2027, the district attorney’s office said.
Schuyler County District Attorney Jeremy Hourihan prosecuted the cases.
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