Contractor faces grand theft charges

SANDPOINT — A contractor based out of Sagle is facing 15 counts of grand theft and three counts of forgery.

Nathaniel David Story, 38, is scheduled to go to trial in First District Court on Aug 16, he is out on $50,000 bond.

Allegations come from multiple court cases alleging that Story appropriated a cumulative total $189,121 in client money from February through August 2020 intended for building projects that he never finished.

“This is a pattern consistent with up to 12 additional homeowners who have contacted the Sheriff’s office and made formal complaints,” Bonner County Sheriff's Detective J. Thompson said in an affidavit.

The charges are part of four court criminal cases by clients who entered into formal and “good faith” agreements with Story. Though details vary from case to case, a common theme seems to be that Story would allegedly withdraw funds to purchase materials or hire subcontractors, but minimal, if any, work would be done on the project. Shortly after, Story would ghost his clients, complainants contend in the court records.

In one case, court documents contend that Story was paid $118,490 for renovations. However, months later when the money could not be accounted for, Story said he put the funds into a subcontractor’s business account, according to court documents. Law enforcement subpoenaed the bank records and found no record of the transaction. The home at the center of this case remains uninhabitable after undergoing demolition for the renovations, with no further work done, officials said in the documents..

In other cases, officials contend in court records that Story would pay a small portion of the total project costs to subcontractors, but would fail to pay the full amount, causing the clients to pay for the renovations themselves under threats of having a lien placed on their assets.

Judge Lamont Berecz will preside over all cases against Story in a jury trial on Aug. 16. Each count of grand theft and forgery can see a penalty of one-to-14 years detention and up to a $5,000 fine. Story is facing 18 counts total.

In an Aug. 14, 2020, email to a client, Story said he didn’t have the money because he “pretty much lost everything.” He claimed he had lost all of his business tools and vehicles, and was selling tools out of his garage to keep his family fed. He said he “didn’t know what to do anymore.”

Story has been in business for seven years with Story Homes LLC, a business that is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau.