BATON ROUGE – A St. Gabriel man faces theft and fraud charges after police say he took money to demolish a home after the August floods and never completed the work.

David Lee Carrell was charged with residential contractor fraud and felony theft Monday. He was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

According to arrest documents, the victim told Baton Rouge Police that he hired Carrell to demolish and remove an old home to prepare for rebuilding just days after the August flooding. The victim said the work was estimated to cost $6,800 and he gave Carrell an initial payment of $3,000.

The victim told investigators that Carrell requested an additional $1,600 for a dump truck. After the victim sent two separate payments of $800, he has not been able to contact Carrell.

Documents say as of April 6, the work had not been completed and Carrell has not attempted to refund the money.