DECATUR, Ala. — A man has been arrested in connection with a home improvement scam that occurred in September 2023. Matthew Allen Pettyjohn, 36, was accused of taking over $2,500 from a Decatur homeowner without performing the agreed-upon work or purchasing any materials.
The homeowner filed a report with the Decatur Police Department (DPD) after Pettyjohn was hired to carry out work on their property but failed to deliver. Authorities say Pettyjohn took the money and never returned, leaving the homeowner without the work or any refunded payment.
Detective Ferguson of the DPD was assigned to investigate the case. The investigation revealed that Pettyjohn had received the payment but did not complete the job or provide the materials, prompting the detective to obtain a warrant for his arrest on October 2, 2023.
On December 2, 2024, Pettyjohn was located by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and taken into custody. He was then transported to the Decatur Police Department, where he was served with the arrest warrant. Following his arrest, Pettyjohn was booked into Morgan County Jail, where he is being held on a $5,000 bond.
Pettyjohn now faces charges of first-degree theft of property related to the incident.