Warrington Township police and detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s office charged a 49-year-old man in late March with committing more than $500,000 in home improvement fraud in Bucks County and surrounding counties since June 2014.

Shawn Timothy Nicola, formerly known as Shawn Gerety, was charged on March 26 with felony counts of theft by deception and receiving stolen property and several counts of deceptive business practices and receiving or attempting to receive advance payment for services and failing to perform.

He has a court hearing scheduled for Aug. 7 before Magisterial District Judge Jean Seaman. The case is being prosecuted by Bucks County Deputy District Attorney Alan J. Garabedian.

As owner and operator of BuildTREND LLC, Nicola is accused of ripping off nine victims, including $163,900 from a couple in Warrington Township in 2015 and nearly $88,000 from a couple in Doylestown Township, also in 2015.

He is also accused of defrauding three victims in Delaware County, two in Montgomery County and two in Chester County.

Anyone with information on Nicola or believe they may have been a victim should contact Bucks County Detective Eric Landamia at elandamia@buckscounty.org or Bucks County Detective Tim Campbell at tcampbell@buckscounty.org.

Contact: Manuel Gamiz Jr., 215.348.6298, mgamiz@buckscounty.org

Criminal charges are allegations subject to proof in court. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.