Augusta County builder guilty after taking $600k for unfinished homes
VERONA — A local businesswoman who charged two clients more than $600,000 to build homes that were never completed has been convicted of two felony charges. On Nov. 10, in Augusta County Circuit Court, Judge Shannon Sherrill found Amy J. Argenbright, 46, guilty of two counts of construction fraud. A two-day bench trial was held Oct. 20-21, but the judge said he needed additional time to sift through the evidence. Following the guilty verdicts, sentencing was set for next year. Argenbright, of A & Co, was involved in stalled construction projects for two new homes, evidence showed. Augusta County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Caleb Kramer said she accepted payments for construction costs but said some of the money she received did not go toward the homes. In one instance, he said a $50,000 payment sought by Argenbright that was supposed to go toward one of the homes was instead partially used by her to pay off more than $19,000 on a delinquent mortgage she had through First Bank & Trust. A loan officer testified it was seven months in arrears. Defense attorney Thomas Weidner IV, who argued during Argenbright’s October trial that the case should have been a civil matter, said
