Coral Springs man accused of stealing nearly $16,000 after failed home remodel for woman he knew from local temple
Coral Springs, Florida – A Coral Springs woman who thought she was hiring someone she could trust for a home remodel now finds herself out nearly $16,000 — and left with a damaged home and a betrayal that cuts deeper than bad construction work.
Yigal Moshe Bitton, 55, of Coral Springs, has been charged with grand theft and several related offenses after police say he posed as a licensed contractor and took thousands of dollars from a fellow member of his local temple, promising home renovations he never completed.
The case started in August 2023 when the woman, whose name has not been released, approached Bitton for help with a remodeling project. She knew him through their shared place of worship and believed he was both trustworthy and qualified. Bitton gave her a written estimate for the job that appeared legitimate — it included a real contractor’s license number and a company name.
“He told her he was licensed and insured,” investigators wrote in the police report.
Over the next few months, the woman paid Bitton a total of $15,962, sending the funds through checks and PayPal. But as time passed, she realized the work was not being completed. Worse, the limited construction that was done caused further damage to her home, and she had to pay more money to have it repaired properly.
Her suspicions grew when the project remained unfinished. Eventually, she contacted the actual company listed on the estimate — and that’s when the truth unraveled.
The business owner told her that Bitton had never worked for the company. In fact, the contractor’s license number used on the paperwork belonged to someone else entirely. That license holder later told police he had no knowledge of Bitton and had never authorized the use of his license or name.
Police arrested Bitton on May 30. During questioning, he admitted that he had provided the woman with the estimate and accepted the payments. He also confessed that although he had gone to school to learn construction, he never held a valid contractor’s license. Investigators also discovered that the checks from the woman had been deposited into Bitton’s personal bank account.
He now faces several charges, including grand theft, criminal use of personal identification, and acting as an unlicensed contractor.
Bitton was released from the Broward County jail after posting a $4,000 bond.
For the woman involved, the financial loss is just one part of the ordeal. She trusted someone from her own faith community — someone she thought would help her — only to end up in a worse position than before.
While the investigation continues, officials are reminding homeowners to always verify licensing information independently before hiring a contractor, even if the person seems familiar or comes recommended by a trusted community.
As of now, Bitton has not entered a plea, and court proceedings are expected in the coming weeks.
