EAU CLAIRE — A contractor prosecutors say disappeared on a client after cashing a check for more than $25,000 was in court Wednesday.
Dylan Phelps, 28, Redgranite, pleaded not guilty to theft in a business setting involving between $10,000 and $100,000. The plea appears to be a bid to buy time for negotiations, though, since the court set a plea hearing for Feb. 18.
According to the criminal complaint, an Eau Claire County resident reported a fraud case on Feb. 24, 2024. He said he had hired Phelps’ company, Done Right LLC, to build an exterior garage frame. The agreement for the work was signed in October 2023.
The victim gave Phelps a check for $25,500 for the work when the contract was signed, and it was cashed five days later. The agreement stipulated a Dec. 11 start date for the work. Days before that the victim emailed Phelps to confirm the work would begin.
Phelps replied that he was still working on a different project and was “a few weeks behind.” That was the last the client heard from Phelps, though. A request for an estimated start date went unanswered. Emails on Jan. 1 and Jan. 9, 2024 were ignored as well, along with calls and texts that were not returned.
The victim finally turned to law enforcement after weeks of no contact.
The Better Business Bureau lists Done Right LLC as based out of Berlin, Wisconsin. The page on the business says it started in August 2020 and had a BBB file opened on it in May 2023. Phelps is listed as the manager and customer contact. The BBB says the company is not accredited by it.
The company had a Facebook page, but the site says it is no longer available.
Under Wisconsin law, the charge against Phelps is a Class G felony, with a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $25,000. But it’s not the only case pending against Phelps. He faces similar charges in Wuashara, Oneida, Green Lake, Adams and Fond du Lac counties.