Virginia Remodeling Contractor Arrested on Construction-Fraud Warrants After $34,000 Deposit Dispute

Published Oct. 15, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

A Northern Virginia homeowner hired a remodeling company in February 2026 to redo the floors on his home's main level and gut and rebuild the kitchen. He paid a $34,000 deposit. According to the homeowner, the work never started, WJLA 7News reported [1].

The contractor behind that company, Eyup Onal, has now been arrested on three felony warrants from Prince William County alleging violations of Virginia's construction-fraud statute, the 7News I-Team reported on Oct. 1, 2026. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Onal was arrested "Wednesday night" (Sept. 30) on the Prince William County warrants, and that he posted the required secured bond and was released [1].

Important: Onal has been charged by warrant, not convicted. As 7News noted, "The warrants are allegations and do not establish guilt." He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. When approached by the I-Team, Onal did not answer questions and has not agreed to an interview [1].

Sourcing note: This article relies mainly on WJLA's I-Team investigation, which cites the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, Prince William County Police, Virginia regulators and court records, along with a Wealth of Geeks report on Virginia's online court records. We have not independently reviewed the warrants or court files.

What the company and the record show

According to 7News [1]:

1. The company. Virginia State Corporation Commission records identify Onal as the president, director and registered agent of NV Kitchen and Bath Remodeling in Sterling, Va.
2. The deposit. The homeowner said he paid the company a $34,000 deposit for the flooring and kitchen job, and no work was done.
3. A court judgment. The homeowner later obtained a $45,000 court judgment against Onal. Court records show Onal did not appear at an Aug. 27 hearing and did not appear at a Sept. 29 follow-up hearing, where his motion to reopen the case was denied. The homeowner said he is still trying to collect.
4. Dissolution. NV Kitchen filed articles of dissolution on June 16. DPOR records show the company returned its contractor's license, telling regulators it had "changed entities or ceased operation."
5. Complaints. Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) confirmed 17 open complaints involving the company's contractor license. The Virginia Attorney General's Office confirmed it has received four consumer complaints involving NV.

7News reported that, off camera, Onal confirmed that he owns NV [1].

The DPOR complaints and Attorney General complaints are open matters, not findings. Depending on what state investigators find, DPOR can take action involving contractor licenses, and the Attorney General's Office can pursue consumer-protection enforcement, including civil penalties, 7News reported.

The charge: Virginia's construction-fraud law

The warrants allege violations of Va. Code § 18.2-200.1 [1]. Under that law, a person who obtains an advance "with fraudulent intent, upon a promise to perform construction, removal, repair or improvement" of a building, then fails to do the work and fails to "substantially make good such advance," is guilty of larceny if they don't return the advance "within fifteen days of a request to do so sent by certified mail, return receipt requested" [2].

That certified-mail requirement matters for homeowners. The FTC likewise advises homeowners to follow phone conversations with a contractor with "a letter you send by certified mail" and to request a return receipt [3].

The person charged

Eyup Onal [1]

• Role: president, director and registered agent of NV Kitchen and Bath Remodeling (dissolved), per State Corporation Commission records cited by 7News.
• Charges: three felony warrants from Prince William County under Va. Code § 18.2-200.1 (construction fraud).
• Status: arrested Sept. 30, 2026, by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office; released after posting a secured bond, per 7News. Wealth of Geeks, citing Virginia's Online Case Information System, reported four related cases under § 18.2-200.1 ("advance pay, construct >$1,000") and a preliminary hearing set for Dec. 14; its account of the arrest and release dates differs from what the sheriff's office told 7News (unconfirmed) [5]. Presumed innocent.
• Civil: a $45,000 judgment in favor of one homeowner, per court records cited by 7News.

His age and city of residence were not given in the official information reported.

Red flags when hiring a remodeler

The Federal Trade Commission's list of contractor-scam tactics includes contractors who "pressure you for an immediate decision" and who "ask you to pay for everything up front or only accept cash" [3]. Other warning signs:

• A large deposit before any materials arrive or any permit is pulled.
• Start dates that keep slipping with no clear reason.
• A company that has recently dissolved, returned its license or changed names.
• Multiple open complaints with the state licensing board.
• No-shows at meetings, inspections or court dates.

What to do before you hire, and if a job stalls

1. Look up the license on DPOR's license lookup and read any disciplinary history [4]. Outside Virginia, check your state's contractor board.
2. Search the business entity with your state's corporation commission or secretary of state to confirm it is active.
3. Keep the deposit small. The FTC advises: "Don't pay the full amount for the project up front," and "never make the final payment until the work is done" [3].
4. Get a written contract with a start and completion date and the contractor's license number [3].
5. If work doesn't start, demand your money back in writing. Send the letter by certified mail with a return receipt. In Virginia, that request is part of the construction-fraud statute [2].
6. File complaints with DPOR, the Virginia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section and local police.

Case status (as of Oct. 15, 2026)

Person / company	Jurisdiction	Status as of Oct. 15, 2026	Source
Eyup Onal	Prince William County, Va.	Arrested Sept. 30, 2026, on three felony construction-fraud warrants (Va. Code § 18.2-200.1); released on secured bond; preliminary hearing reported for Dec. 14 (unconfirmed)	[1], [5]
NV Kitchen and Bath Remodeling	Virginia	Filed articles of dissolution June 16, 2026; 17 open DPOR complaints and four Attorney General consumer complaints, per 7News (not findings of wrongdoing)	[1]

Statuses can change. Charges are allegations, not findings of guilt.

Sources

1. Scott Taylor, "Virginia contractor arrested on 3 felony warrants after $34K remodeling dispute," WJLA 7News I-Team, Oct. 1, 2026. https://wjla.com/features/i-team/virginia-contractor-remodeling-dispute-construction-fruad-arrested-prince-william-nv-kitchen-bath-remodeling-deposit-unfinished-buyer-concerns
2. Code of Virginia, § 18.2-200.1, "Failure to perform promise for construction, etc., in return for advances," accessed Oct. 15, 2026. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title18.2/chapter6/section18.2-200.1/
3. Federal Trade Commission, "How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam," July 2022. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-home-improvement-scam
4. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, "License Lookup," accessed Oct. 15, 2026. https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup
5. Lauren Wellbank, "Virginia Contractor Arrested After Failing to Start Work on Contracted Remodeling Gig," Wealth of Geeks via Yahoo News, Oct. 12, 2026. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/virginia-contractor-arrested-failing-start-140045411.html

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