Crime

NH contractor allegedly took money upfront for jobs in 6 Mass. towns and then bailed

All of these towns were on the North Shore.

By Susannah Sudborough

1 minute to read

A New Hampshire man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly taking money upfront for home improvement work he was supposed to do but never started.

Robert Merrill, 32, of Seabrook, New Hampshire, has been charged with two counts of larceny over $1,200. – Newburyport Police Department

Robert Merrill, 32, of Seabrook, New Hampshire, has been charged by Newburyport police with two counts of larceny over $1,200.

Newburyport police said in a news release Wednesday that they, as well as police in West Newbury, Merrimac, Amesbury, Haverhill, and North Reading, had been searching for Merrill since 2021.

Police said residents in these towns allege that Merrill repeatedly took large sums of money for home improvement work and then never performed the work.

When Merrill was arrested by police in Marblehead Tuesday, he had six active warrants out for his arrest, police said.

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“This was a lengthy investigation into alleged crimes that cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars, and this arrest is the direct result of the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies,” Newburyport City Marshal Mark Murray said in the release.

Police said Merrill was arraigned Wednesday in Newburyport District Court where he was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail.

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