Attorney General James and State Police Superintendent James Announce Convictions in Washington County Contractor Fraud Scheme

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James today announced the conviction and sentencing of John McClure, 45, and his wife, Sarah Chambers, 38, of Granville, Washington County, for Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree for operating a massive contractor fraud scheme and defrauding more than a dozen upstate homeowners out of over $1.5 million. McClure was sentenced to five to 15 years in state prison, and Chambers was sentenced to six months in jail and five years’ probation. As part of their sentencings, McClure and Chambers agreed to judgments in favor of victim homeowners totaling over $890,000. 

“Fraud of any kind is unacceptable, but it is even more disgraceful when it comes at the expense of hard-working New York homeowners,” said Attorney General James. “McClure and his wife defrauded dozens of homeowners out of over $1.5 million for services that were never performed and instead spent the money on themselves at casinos and to purchase vehicles. I thank the New York State Police and our partners in law enforcement for their work to secure these convictions and their continued collaboration in ensuring all those who prey on New Yorkers will be held accountable.”

“Strong and dedicated interagency partnerships have led to the indictment of two individuals who preyed on innocent customers, diverting funds for their personal use,” said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “Cheating homeowners out of their hard-earned money and carrying out dishonest business practices will not be tolerated in New York state. I commend our State Police members and partners at the Attorney General’s Office for their commitment to investigating those who deceive the unsuspecting public.”

Today’s convictions are the result of a joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau (CEFC) and NYSP. The investigation revealed that between September 2019 and August 2023, McClure, while acting in concert with his wife, fraudulently obtained more than $1.5 million from over a dozen upstate New York homeowners. During that time, the defendants allegedly advertised contracting services — such as building and renovating homes, performing excavation work, and constructing garages, roofs, and decks — on Facebook, Google, Angie’s List, Porch.com, and other websites. McClure and his wife used variously named construction businesses, including McClure and Son Constructions, McClure and Sons Construction, JM Escavation (sic) and Demolition Services, and JM & Son Excavation and Demolition.

McClure solicited large amounts of deposit funds upfront for home improvement work but failed to perform the work, neglected to deliver materials he claimed to have purchased with the deposits, and refused to issue refunds to homeowners for unfinished work when requested. Work that was performed by McClure was often substandard and required repairs by other qualified contractors at additional cost to the homeowners.

A forensic audit conducted by OAG revealed that instead of using homeowners’ money to purchase materials or perform home improvements as required, McClure, aided by Chambers, used the money for:

• Personal expenses such as large cash withdrawals;
• Trips to multiple casinos including Saratoga Casino and Hotel in Saratoga Springs and Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady;
• Payments towards child support and his mother’s rent;
• Funding for the couple’s overstock/returned merchandise storefront known as MG Sales in the Aviation Mall in Glens Falls North;
• Purchases of multiple vehicles for McClure, Chambers, and other family members, including a 1927 Bugatti, a 1985 Lamborghini, a Toyota Sequoia, and a refurbished monster truck. 

Chambers participated in the scheme by serving as a false reference to homeowners for McClure and Sons Construction and filing business certificates in order to open business bank accounts to receive homeowner funds. Chambers held the business and accounts in her name to assist McClure in hiding his assets from judgment and other creditors. She later withdrew homeowner funds as cash at McClure’s request to be used for non-business purposes.

In November 2025, McClure pleaded guilty before the Honorable Judge Kelly S. McKeighan to one Count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. McClure was sentenced today to a term of five to 15 years in state prison and entered judgments in favor of victim homeowners totaling $897,240.87. Also, in November 2025, McClure pleaded guilty to one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree in Warren County Court before the Honorable Robert A. Smith. McClure is expected to receive a concurrent sentence of two to six years in state prison. Sentencing in Warren County is scheduled for February 4, 2026. 

McClure’s co-defendant, Sarah Chambers, pleaded guilty in November 2025 before Judge McKeighan and was sentenced in December 2025 to six months in jail, five years of probation, and entered judgments in favor of victim homeowners totaling $308,059.25.

Attorney General James thanks the NYSP Financial Crimes Unit for their valuable assistance in this investigation. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Cheryl Lee and John Healy of CEFC, with the assistance of Legal Support Analyst Kai Tsurumaki, under the supervision of Chief Analyst Jayleen Garcia. Forensic accounting was performed by Forensic Auditor Investigator Bashiri Kirven, under the supervision of Chief Auditor Kristen Fabbri and Deputy Chief Auditor Sandy Bizzarro of the Forensic Audit Section. The CEFC is led by Bureau Chief Stephanie Swenton and Deputy Bureau Chief Joseph G. D’Arrigo.

Detective Investigator Jason Johnston and Senior Detective Eamon Murphy handled the criminal investigation, under the supervision of Deputy Chief Juanita Bright, Assistant Chief Samuel Scotellaro, and Detective Supervisor John Santorio of the Major Investigations Unit. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Investigator Oliver Pu-Folkes. 

Both CEFC and the Investigations Bureau are part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.