Police Say Jersey Shore Contractor Foreman Posed as Engineers and Officials to Bill Homeowners $361,000 in Fake Fees

Published Oct. 8, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

Most contractor complaints are about work that's slow, shoddy or never finished. Police in Brigantine, New Jersey, describe something more elaborate: a foreman who allegedly invented fees and then backed them up with phone calls from engineers, city officials, an architect and a lawyer who were all, police say, him.

Kevin O. Crafton, 49, of Egg Harbor Township, is charged with theft by deception, four counts of criminal impersonation, computer criminal activity, forgery and falsifying records after police said he defrauded two homeowners of more than $361,000 [1]. He was ordered to remain detained on Sept. 30, 2026, WPG Talk Radio reported [2].

Important: These are criminal charges, not a conviction. Crafton is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. We found no public statement from Crafton or a defense attorney.

How the alleged scheme worked

According to the Brigantine Police Department, as reported by Patch and WPG Talk Radio [1][2]:

1. The job. Two people hired a contractor for work on their Brigantine home during 2024 and 2025. Police say Crafton was working as the foreman for LDC Design & Construction, LLC. (Police have not said the company itself is accused of wrongdoing.)
2. The invented costs. Police allege Crafton obtained money "by creating or reinforcing false impressions" about permitting costs, geotechnical testing, legal fees and fines "that did not actually exist or take place."
3. The fake voices. Investigators say Crafton set up Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone numbers and used them to impersonate engineers, city officials, architects and an attorney, giving the false charges the look of legitimacy.
4. The total. Police say the homeowners lost more than $361,000.

The homeowners contacted police in July 2026, and Detective Rao led the investigation, according to the department [1].

The person charged

Kevin O. Crafton, 49, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, was charged on Sept. 8, 2026, and arrested on Sept. 21, then lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility, police said [1]. WPG Talk Radio reported that the theft charge is second-degree theft by deception, and that he was ordered to remain detained on Wednesday, Sept. 30 [2].

The charges, as listed by police [1]:

• Theft by deception
• Four counts of criminal impersonation
• Computer criminal activity
• Forgery
• Falsifying records

The case is being handled with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. We did not find a court date or indictment in the public reporting we reviewed.

Red flags in a renovation project

• Surprise charges for permits, inspections, soil or "geotechnical" testing, fines or legal fees that show up mid-project and must be paid to the contractor, not to the agency.
• "Officials" or "engineers" who call you instead of you calling them, especially from unfamiliar numbers. VoIP numbers are cheap and easy to set up.
• No paper trail. A real permit fee comes with a permit application, an invoice from the municipality and a receipt. A real engineer's report has a license number and a firm you can look up.
• A fine that must be paid immediately to avoid a stop-work order or legal trouble.
• Pressure to keep the project moving by paying first and asking questions later.

What to do

1. Pay government fees to the government. Ask for the permit number and pay the building department directly, or confirm the amount with the department yourself.
2. Call back on numbers you find yourself. If an "inspector" or "city official" calls, hang up and call the municipal office's published number.
3. Verify professionals. In New Jersey, you can look up licensed engineers, architects and registered home improvement contractors through the state Division of Consumer Affairs. Look up attorneys through the state court system.
4. Get every charge in writing and compare it with your contract before paying.
5. Report it. Brigantine police and the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office ask anyone who had home improvement work done by Crafton or LDC Design & Construction, LLC, and believes they may also be a victim, to contact Detective Rao at 609-264-7909 or prao@brigantinenj.gov [1]. Elsewhere, contact local police and your state attorney general's consumer protection office.

Case status (as of Oct. 8, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 8, 2026	Source
Kevin O. Crafton, 49, Egg Harbor Township, NJ	Atlantic County, N.J. (state)	Charged Sept. 8, 2026 (theft by deception, 4 counts criminal impersonation, computer criminal activity, forgery, falsifying records); arrested Sept. 21; ordered detained Sept. 30	[1], [2]

Crafton has not been convicted and is presumed innocent. Statuses can change.

Sources

1. Veronica Flesher, "Jersey Shore Contractor Stole $361K In Fraud Scheme: Police," Patch (Galloway, N.J.), Sept. 23, 2026. https://patch.com/new-jersey/galloway/jersey-shore-contractor-stole-361k-fraud-scheme-police
2. Chris Coleman, "Egg Harbor Twp. Man Accused of $361K Brigantine Fraud Ordered Detained," WPG Talk Radio 95.5, Oct. 1, 2026. https://wpgtalkradio.com/eht-man-brigantine-fraud-detained/

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