Pennsylvania man allegedly breaks law to pay child support

Whenever a parent falls behind or thinks they may be late with child support payments, they may go to unusual lengths to meet their legal obligation. One Pennsylvania man has found himself in trouble with the law due to the alleged actions he took to pay back child support. The man was an independent contractor and has been accused of misusing funds he received for a job by using them for settling his child support debt.

The 42-year-old father took over $6,000 from a homeowner under the promise to renovate a bathroom. The contractor initially took $2,500 as a deposit to start the job and then another $1,775 from the homeowner before beginning the work. When he did come to the home to remove wallpaper and start the work, he received more money, saying he needed to replace drywall also. However, he never came back afterwards.

The homeowner hired a private detective to find out why the contractor wasn’t doing the job he was paid to do. Police became involved when the contractor admitted that he used the funds for the job to pay back child support. He has been charged with receiving stolen property and home improvement fraud.

The Pennsylvania contractor now faces criminal charges for his method of taking care of his obligation toward his child or children. While some may feel overwhelmed or even panicky about being behind in payments for child support, there are legal means of seeking modifications or adjustments that can keep parents from facing criminal consequences. Modifications or even temporary exemption from making payments can help parents catch up financially and avoid penalties associated with falling behind.

Source: Morning Call, “Bethlehem man pays $6,050 for renovations; contractor spends cash on child support, police say,” Frank Warner, May 7, 2013