A contractor who bilked area property owners of thousands of dollars by obtaining down payments on contracts to perform work on their homes but failing to fulfill the contracts, entered guilty pleas to charges of forgery and theft in the Schuylkill County Court and was sentenced by Judge Charles M. Miller to serve six years on probation and make restitution.

The plea was entered by Jonathan Paul Williams, 28, North Wales. According to Chief Timothy Delaney, Coaldale Police and Corporal Henry Woods, Tamaqua Police, Williams portrayed himself as owner of Freedom Remodelers Company and executed contracts to make repairs on people's homes. Besides serving on probation he also was ordered to pay $100 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account fund, a $50 monthly fee for each month on probation and make restitution to the following:Tina Radocha, 16 Elm Street, Barnesville, $30,080.14; Penny Schlorf, 224 Orwigsburg Street, Tamaqua, $2,700; Raymond Zellner, 224 Orwigsburg Street, $4,591.47; Kathryn Kunkel, $791.81; John O'Connor, Rush Township, $30 and Martha Gregis, 43 East Liberty Street, Coaldale, $4,200.