Nevada Couple Charged With 13 Felony Thefts Each in Alleged $1 Million Home Sales and Construction Fraud

Published Oct. 12, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

For many of the customers, the money was meant to buy or build a home. The Lyon County, Nevada, Sheriff's Office says those payments, more than $1 million in all, went to a Silver Springs business that did not deliver, and that the couple behind it left the state while the investigation was under way.

Joshua Quinton Carradine, 49, and Angela Bell Carradine, 61, were booked into the Lyon County Jail on Oct. 7, 2026. Each faces 13 felony theft counts connected to their former business, AJ Home Center / AJ Construction, the sheriff's office announced [1][2].

Important: These are charges, not convictions. Joshua and Angela Carradine are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. No customers are named in this article.

What investigators allege

According to the Lyon County Sheriff's Office, as reported by News 4 & Fox 11 and 2News [1][2]:

1. The complaints. The investigation began in June 2023, after the sheriff's office received complaints about home purchases, construction agreements and financial transactions involving AJ Home Center / AJ Construction, which formerly operated in Silver Springs.
2. The time frame. The alleged criminal activity ran from April 2022 through February 2024.
3. The victims. Investigators identified multiple victims in Nevada and California. Total alleged losses exceed $1 million.
4. The money. For many customers, the sheriff's office said, the losses involved "substantial personal savings and funds intended for the purchase or construction of their homes" [1].

A fire, then a move out of state

In June 2023, shortly after the sheriff's office began receiving complaints and investigators contacted the Carradines, the AJ Home Center business location in Silver Springs was destroyed by a fire that the sheriff's office described as occurring "under suspicious circumstances." Numerous business documents and records were reportedly destroyed [1]. The reports we reviewed do not say what caused the fire, and neither defendant is reported to be charged in connection with it.

Investigators kept working the case as more complaints came in during 2024. During the investigation, the Carradines moved out of Nevada; their last known residence was believed to be in Tennessee, the sheriff's office said [1][2].

The Lyon County Sheriff's Office worked with the Nevada Housing Division and the Nevada Attorney General's Office. Walker River Township Justice Court issued nationwide arrest warrants for both on Sept. 25, 2026 [1].

The people charged

Each defendant faces 13 felony counts [1][2]:

• five counts of theft of property valued at more than $100,000 (Category B felonies)
• five counts of theft of property valued at $25,000 or more but less than $100,000 (Category B felonies)
• three counts of theft of property valued at $5,000 or more but less than $25,000 (Category C felonies)

Joshua Quinton Carradine, 49. Walker River Justice Court records reviewed by Wealth of Geeks list his case as No. 26 CR 00530 3H, filed Sept. 25, 2026, before Judge Pete J. Spinuzzi, with an arraignment hearing listed for Oct. 8 [3].

Angela Bell Carradine, 61. Her case is No. 26 CR 00529 3H, also filed Sept. 25. Court records show an arraignment held Oct. 8, 2026, and a status hearing set for Dec. 17 at 9 a.m., according to Wealth of Geeks [3].

Bail was set at $100,000 for each, the sheriff's office reported, per Wealth of Geeks [3]. The court summaries list March 27 through Dec. 28, 2023, as the offense-date range for the charges [3]. We found no public statement from either defendant or a lawyer for them.

Red flags when buying or building a home through a dealer or builder

• Large deposits or full payment before work starts, or before a home is delivered.
• Money paid directly to the business in place of a licensed escrow or title company.
• Missing or vague contracts: no delivery date, no build schedule, no lien releases.
• Unverified licenses. In Nevada, check a contractor's license with the Nevada State Contractors Board before you pay.
• Excuses and silence once money has changed hands.

What to do if you're targeted, or already paid

1. Ask for an escrow arrangement for home purchases and staged payments tied to completed work for construction.
2. Verify licenses and complaint histories before signing.
3. Keep every record: contracts, receipts, bank transfers, texts and emails.
4. Report it. If you believe you dealt with AJ Home Center / AJ Construction, contact the Lyon County Sheriff's Office. Contractor and home-sales complaints can also go to the Nevada Attorney General's Office and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Case status (as of Oct. 12, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 12, 2026	Source
Joshua Quinton Carradine, 49	Walker River Township Justice Court, Lyon County, Nev. (No. 26 CR 00530 3H)	Charged with 13 felony theft counts; booked Oct. 7, 2026; bail $100,000; arraignment hearing listed Oct. 8, 2026; case open; presumed innocent	[1], [2], [3]
Angela Bell Carradine, 61	Walker River Township Justice Court, Lyon County, Nev. (No. 26 CR 00529 3H)	Charged with 13 felony theft counts; booked Oct. 7, 2026; bail $100,000; arraigned Oct. 8; status hearing Dec. 17, 2026; presumed innocent	[1], [2], [3]

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

Sources

1. News 4 & Fox 11 (KRNV/KRXI), "Alleged AJ Home Center fraud topped $1M, hit victims in NV and CA, Lyon sheriff says," Oct. 8, 2026. https://mynews4.com/news/local/alleged-aj-home-center-fraud-topped-1m-hit-victims-in-nv-and-ca-lyon-sheriff-says
2. KTVN 2News, "Lyon County couple arrested after multi-year investigation into alleged construction fraud," October 2026 (accessed Oct. 12, 2026). https://www.2news.com/news/local/lyon-county-couple-arrested-after-multi-year-investigation-into-alleged-construction-fraud/article_9c9e6387-bad6-48cd-b44e-7bde63886cd7.html
3. Wealth of Geeks, "Nevada Couple's Home Sales Location Was Destroyed in Suspicious Fire After Complaints. Now Each Faces 13 Felonies in $1M Case," October 2026 (accessed Oct. 12, 2026). https://wealthofgeeks.com/nevada-couples-home-sales-location-was-destroyed-in-suspicious-fire-after-complaints-now-each-faces-13-felonies-in-1m-case/

---

Corrections and updates: If you are named in this article, or represent someone who is, and believe anything here is inaccurate or out of date (including a dismissal, acquittal, or change in case status), please contact us at editorandchief@scammers.com. We will review it and update the article promptly.