Contractor stole $63,000 in Manatee roofing fraud scheme, deputies say
A former subcontractor in Manatee County is accused of pocketing more than $63,000 in customer payments and used the money to gamble online, according to the sheriff’s office.
Michael Anthony Calvecchio, 33, of Tampa, was arrested in Illinois and extradited to Manatee County on a charge of scheme to defraud $50,000 or more, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison, according to court records.
An attorney representing Calvecchio did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
Investigators allege Calvecchio, who worked for a roofing company that did work in Manatee County, directed customers to pay him and his business instead of Seacoast Building and Design while working as a subcontractor for them between June and October 2024.
According to an arrest report, Seacoast’s owner told Manatee County Sheriff’s Office detectives that subcontractors were required to deposit customer checks into Seacoast’s bank account or hand-deliver them to the company. Investigators say Calvecchio instead instructed customers to make payments to his own business, NSM Innovations LLC, or directly to him.
In one case, investigators said Calvecchio instructed a customer who had hired him through Seacoast for solar and roofing work to write two replacement checks payable to NSM Innovations worth about $50,000 after the customer’s original check bounced.
The money was deposited into Calvecchio’s Bank of America account and then transferred through dozens of Zelle transactions, according to investigators.
Subcontractor stole $63k, deputies say
Subpoenaed bank records showed Calvecchio’s accounts often maintained near-zero balances before receiving transfers and making withdrawals to Hard Rock Bet, according to detectives.
The roofing work never began, and investigators say Seacoast never received the money.
Investigators said Calvecchio later admitted he tried to transfer the project to another roofing company, SPF Development, without Seacoast’s knowledge.
“I shouldn’t have tried to do anything and be like the quarterback,” Calvecchio said, according to the arrest report.
A second customer hired Calvecchio months later for roofing and mold remediation work. The customer provided two checks totaling $13,250, including one payable to NSM Innovations and another payable directly to Calvecchio, investigators said.
According to the arrest report, Calvecchio claimed the money was solely for mold removal and said Seacoast’s owner told him to contact a mold contractor and “add your cheese on top.”
Investigators disputed that explanation, noting the memo lines on the checks read “roof replacement permit deposit” and “Roof permit + engineering.”
Surveillance footage from Suncoast Credit Union allegedly showed Calvecchio depositing one of the checks while wearing a Seacoast hat, according to the report.
Investigators said Seacoast had no knowledge of the contract and ultimately refunded the customer $13,250 out of its own pocket. According to the arrest report, the company’s owner said he learned about the arrangement only after the customer contacted Seacoast directly to ask about the money she had paid. He told investigators he immediately terminated Calvecchio and later learned about the earlier transaction involving another customer.
Court records show Calvecchio pleaded not guilty on May 27 and requested a jury trial. He was released on a $5,000 bond on June 1. He is scheduled for arraignment on July 2 before Judge D. Ryan Felix.
