Over a period of about two years, MICHAEL L. BURTON, held himself out as a licensed general contractor. He was not. He entered into agreements with seven (7) different families to perform home improvement construction work. He took their money and fraudulently did not perform the work.
Investigators with the Sheriffs Offices in Putnam, Cumberland, White and Jackson Counties investigated the allegations. The good work of these agencies gathered sufficient proof of the fraud in all seven cases. The investigations revealed that Michael Burton stole $221,163.81 from the various victims.
On May 6, 2024, Michael Burton appeared in the Criminal Court and entered a GUILTY plea to Home Improvement Services Fraud in all 7 cases. The Court accepted his pleas to four Class C felonies, one Class D felony and 2 class A misdemeanors.
On August 6, 2024, a sentencing hearing was held before Criminal Court Judge Shawn Fry for the purpose of determining the court to determine the appropriate sentence. After an all day hearing where testimony was heard from the victims in the case, the investigators and the defendant, Judge Fry imposed a ten (10) years sentence to serve in the custody of the TN Department of Corrections. A judgment in favor of the victims ordering the payment of the full restitution was also imposed.
Home Improvement Services Fraud is a frequent problem in the Upper Cumberland. Citizens should be very diligent and not cautions in their dealings with contractors. Confirm that your contractor is licensed and insured. Fraudulent actors like Michael L. Burton prey on people in our community. Behaviors like Burton’s will not be tolerated.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Evan Smith from the 13th Judicial District and Assistant District Attorney Ian Bratton from the 15th Judicial District.