Algonquin man sent to prison for home repair fraud, writing bad check
An Algonquin man was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of theft and deceptive practice.
David Regal, 34, of the 2600 block of Williamsburg Drive in Algonquin, pleaded guilty in September to stealing $95,318 between June 2012 and February 2015 from a Geneva homeowner who hired Regal to paint her home, among other home-improvement projects.
The homeowner paid Regal for the materials in advance, but the work was never performed, Kane County Assistant State's Attorney Kelli Schmidt said in court.
Regal also pleaded guilty to writing a bad check to a St. Charles car dealership on Dec. 31, 2015. He wrote a check for $18,000 to buy a 2014 Dodge pickup truck. The dealership made multiple attempts to deposit the check but was notified of insufficient funds and contacted St. Charles police.
Regal was ordered to pay $95,318 in restitution to the Geneva homeowner.
"David Regal is a con man who swindled a woman out of nearly $100,000," Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said Wednesday. "He belongs in prison. The only way to protect the public from people like Mr. Regal is to remove them from society. I am happy to oblige."
Regal has a 2004 felony conviction for fraud and a 2010 felony conviction for theft, both in McHenry County. He also has three misdemeanor convictions for related offenses.
He will receive credit for 115 days served in the Kane County jail.