Homebuilder guilty in fraud scheme that included Llano County families
Wayne Alan Erickson was found guilty of first-degree felony theft by deception for scamming six families out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in incomplete construction projects. Burnet County Jail photo
Hays County homebuilder Wayne Alan Erickson was convicted of first-degree felony theft by deception for an unscrupulous home construction fraud scheme involving six families across Llano and Travis counties.
After a Llano County jury found Erickson guilty following his May 22 trial, a visiting judge sentenced him to 10 years’ probation and ordered him to pay $539,785 in restitution to his victims and to never work in the construction field again.
“There are many honorable contractors in the area. But people like Wayne Alan Erickson damage not only the lives of their victims, but the integrity of the industry itself,” said Sonny McAfee, retired 33rd/424th district attorney, who prosecuted the case.
According to a media release from the 33rd/424th District Attorney’s Office announcing the conviction, Erickson deceived his victims into giving him large payments for work that he would never actually complete. He also invoiced for work that was never done or significantly overcharged on projects.
Erickson was first indicted in 2018 after an investigation by the Horseshoe Bay Police Department revealed he had taken payments from customers on work he did not finish. Horseshoe Bay investigators formed a case against Erickson that found six families impacted by the scheme, two from Llano County and four from Travis County.
Due to a litany of setbacks, including the untimely deaths of Erickson’s attorney, a key defense witness, and Judge Burt Carnes, who was overseeing the trial, it took almost seven years for the case to be brought to its conclusion.
Presiding Judge Daryl Coffey and the jury originally planned to sentence Erickson to 10 years in prison, but his defense negotiated an agreement for 10 years’ probation in exchange for $539,785 in restitution and the promise to never work in construction again.
“Ultimately, (the jury) concluded that Mr. Erickson lacked honesty and integrity in both his words and deeds—and that he stole from families who trusted him with their homes and dreams,” said Llano County First Assistant Attorney Matt Rienstra in the media release. “Their verdict is a clear statement that honesty and integrity still matter in Llano County.”
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Untimely deaths of his attorney, a key defense witness & a Judge it took 7 years to bring this con man to probation???