Paul M. Gardner

     A Springfield, Missouri man has been arrested on felony theft charges by the Sheriff’s Office after an investigation into a complaint filed on December 13th.  The complaint alleged that the arrestee, 32 year old PAUL GARDNER, had defrauded a Baxter County couple out of approximately $9,000.00 given as a down payment to build a deck on their residence, which work was never completed.

     In June, 2015 the victims hired a company to install log siding on the residence. PAUL GARDNER was working on that project as a sub-contractor.  The victims contracted with GARDNER separately to build a deck with an invoiced cost of $12,450.00.  The victims paid $9,750.00 down toward this project. GARDNER came to the victim’s residence one time, on September 5th, worked approximately four (4) hours, and used approximately $100.00 in materials.  He never returned to do any further work on the deck, and GARDNER refused to return any of the down payment money. 

     A bench warrant was procured on February 9, 2016 for the arrest of PAUL GARDNER.  He was booked into the Baxter County Detention Center Wednesday, April 27th on one charge of Theft of Property – Class C Felony.  He is being held in lieu of $15,000 bond, and he is scheduled to appear in Circuit Court to answer today.

/s/ John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff