A paving contractor has been arrested after allegedly defrauding a 67-year-old Sumterville man of a $4,500 deposit for an unfinished asphalt job.
John Patrick Croughin, 38, of Lake County, was arrested last month on a warrant charging him with a felony count of stealing $300 to $10,000 from someone 65 or older. He is currently being held without bond at the Sumter County Detention Center since he is already on active probation for a previous grand theft offense.
According to an affidavit from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, on September 18, 2025, the victim sent Croughin a personal check for $4,505.82. The funds were meant as a deposit for an asphalt paving job at the victim’s home on County Road 526. Croughin, who worked as the title manager for Tampa Bay BlackTop LLC, allegedly told the victim that it would take roughly two weeks to get on the schedule.
When two weeks passed with no work starting and no supplies supplied, the victim phoned Croughin several times. According to the allegation, Croughin repeatedly apologized for the delay before discontinuing all communication and removing his phone number.
The victim eventually discovered Croughin had established a new company named Lake County Paving, but a certified letter sent to that address was returned undeliverable. On April 29, 2026, the victim officially reported the theft to law enforcement.
During the inquiry, a deputy requested records from Florida Central Credit Union, which confirmed that the victim’s check was deposited into an account wholly held by Croughin just days after being issued.
On July 13, a deputy recorded a phone interview with Croughin. During the conversation, Croughin admitted to collecting the payments, depositing the check, and not doing any work at the victim’s house. Croughin offered a variety of justifications for the business name change and disconnected phone, claiming he sent the deposit money to someone else to finish the job. But he refused to tell the deputy who that individual was.
A criminal background check indicated that Croughin has been on active probation in Florida for grand theft since June 2025. He was arrested without bond since he was on probation at the time of the new alleged incident.
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