Stevensville, Montana — Brett Mauri, a 61-year-old timber frame home builder from Stevensville, has been sentenced to 63 months in prison after being convicted on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen on Thursday, following Mauri’s conviction for defrauding customers and misusing their payments for personal expenses.
Mauri, who owned and operated Bitterroot Timber Frames and Three Mile Creek Post & Beam LLC, had been misleading clients who had hired him to build custom timber frame homes. According to court documents, between 2018 and 2022, Mauri defrauded at least nine customers by collecting payments for home construction while offering little to no work in return.
Instead of using the funds to complete the homes as promised, Mauri directed the payments into his own bank accounts, spending the money on personal expenses such as shopping sprees and travel. His actions mirrored those of a Ponzi scheme, as he solicited new payments from customers to cover previous debts without delivering the promised services. Many of the victims were left with unfinished homes or no construction work at all.
The scam affected clients across multiple states, including Montana, New York, Utah, and Louisiana. Several of the projects remain unfinished, and some were never started. Mauri’s fraud scheme caused significant financial hardship for the families who trusted him with their payments.
In addition to his prison sentence, Mauri has been ordered to pay $1.86 million in restitution to his victims. This restitution aims to provide some financial relief to those who were scammed by Mauri’s deceptive practices.
This case highlights the importance of trust and accountability within the construction industry. Authorities are continuing to urge consumers to verify contractors’ credentials and ensure the legitimacy of companies before making significant financial commitments.
Mauri’s wife, who was involved in spending the stolen funds, was also implicated in the scheme, and authorities have indicated further legal proceedings may follow.
