Palm Beach contractors arrested for grand theft

Two brothers who ran a Palm Beach-based contracting firm were arrested on grand theft charges.

Francis and Russell Palmieri are accused of fraudulently entering into contracts for work that was never finished and not returning deposits to their clients, the Palm Beach Daily News reported. They were booked into Palm Beach County Jail on Monday. One of the brothers also faces a misdemeanor charge of working as a contractor without certification.

Operating as Bud Palmieri Cos., the brothers were hired to install windows and doors at the residence of Robert Holuba and Susan Furman. Holuba signed a contract for $276,000 in repairs in June 2012. He canceled the contract three days after writing a deposit check for $100,000 and asked for his money back.

After making the request, Holuba was allegedly told that $60,000 of the deposit would go directly to Deerfield Builders Supply Co. to enter the order for the doors and windows. But Holuba contacted the company directly and was told no such purchase order existed. [Palm Beach Daily News] — Eric Kalis