Contractor accused of bilking Pine residents out of $185K awaiting trial in 3 other fraud cases

Northern Regional Police accused a home remodeling contractor who is awaiting trial for three separate fraud cases with collecting more than $185,000 in payments from two Pine residents and then walking off the jobs before the work was finished.

Sean Vincent Hein, 36, of the 500 block of Bauerlein Street in Millvale was charged with six felony counts: two each of theft by deception, deceptive or fraudulent business practices and home improvement fraud.

A warrant was issued for Hein’s arrest March 21, according to a court official. A date for his preliminary hearing before District Judge William Wagner will be scheduled once he is taken into custody.

A Northern Regional detective wrote in a criminal complaint charging Hein that a resident reported to police that Hein’s company, Forward Home Enhancements, was hired in July to build a pool, garage and balcony at their home for $294,000.

Between Aug. 2 and Nov. 16, the family made nine payments by cash and check to Hein totaling $162,286, the complaint said.

The family told police that Hein did the excavation for the pool and garage, poured concrete footers and built a block wall.

But when the wall began to crack and bow because it was not constructed properly, Hein’s crew left with their tools and equipment and did not return, the complaint said.

Police said a second homeowner reported that Hein’s company was hired in December 2021 to build a garage for $47,000.

Between December 2021 and April 2022, Hein received three payments totaling $23,500 and began work on the project in July.

The homeowner told police that after the concrete for the foundation was poured, it was “unusable” and demolished.

After the foundation was replaced in November, Hein asked the homeowners for an additional $16,000, which they declined to pay.

Hein stopped communicating with the property owners when they tried to contact him to resolve the problem, the complaint said.

Hein and his company did not come up in a search of the state Attorney General’s contractor registration website. The law requires contractors who do more than $5,000 worth of work a year to register with the state.

In addition to the charges filed by Northern Regional Police, Hein is awaiting trial on felony charges related to contractor fraud filed by three police departments:

• Earlier this month, a district judge ordered Hein to stand trial on felony counts of theft by deception, deceptive business practices and making false statements to sell home improvement services, court records show. The charges were filed in December by Baldwin police.

• In January, Hein was ordered to stand trial on felony counts of theft by deception and deceptive business practices filed by Sharpsburg police, according to court records.

• Hein also is awaiting trial on a felony charge of receiving advance payment for work that wasn’t completed filed by Pittsburgh police in July, according to the court docket.

Court records show that in 2015, Hein pleaded guilty to a felony count of robbery along with counts of theft, simple assault, making terroristic threats and receiving stolen property filed by Shaler police. He was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in jail and four years of probation.

In 2011, Hein pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property filed by Millvale police and was sentenced to three years of probation.