Unity plumber pleads guilty to bilking homeowner

A Unity plumber was ordered to serve at least 11½ months in jail for failing to complete a sewer replacement job at a Hempfield home in 2022.

Mark E. Loughran, 55, pleaded guilty to felony counts of deceptive business practices, theft and receiving advance payment for work not completed.

But Loughran was actually paroled Thursday, having already served two years behind bars in connection with the current case and multiple other criminal convictions.

Prosecutors said the Hempfield homeowner paid Loughran, who operated ML Plumbing, the first half of what was expected to be an $11,000 job to repair a basement sewer line.

Loughran dug up the basement floor but never returned to complete the job, police claimed.

“I am guilty because I was halfway through the job, and because of bad weather and an accident, I didn’t return on a timely basis,” Loughran told the judge. He said it was in his best interest to plead guilty to the three felony charges.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger sentenced Loughran to serve at least 11 1/2 months in jail and two additional years on probation. Loughran’s sentence had called upon him to serve up to 23 months in jail.

According to court records, Loughran was charged and later convicted of a dozen other cases, including several that involving deceptive business practices, writing bad check and other offenses in Westmoreland, Allegheny and Lawrence counties dating back to 1988.