DATE: July 24, 2025
SUBJECT: Contractor Arrested for Home Improvement Fraud and Theft
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-NR-0724B
CONTACT: Lt. Doug Daza
AUTHORITY: Sheriff Noah Robinson
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has arrested an Evansville contractor on multiple charges of theft and fraud following an investigation into a complaint of Home Improvement Fraud.
In late February 2025, deputies took a report from a Vanderburgh County resident who alleged that a contractor she had hired to build a room addition to her home had been paid tens of thousands of dollars for work that, after numerous delays, was substandard, not to code, and ultimately left incomplete.
The victim had contracted Eric N. Morgan and his business, Eric Morgan DBA Rugged Construction, in October 2023 to construct the addition. She initially paid a $25,000 down payment. The addition was intended to house her ill mother so she could receive care while living with the family.
Despite several delays, work finally began on February 1, 2024. Over time, the victim paid Morgan’s company a total of $152,619.72. The victim contacted law enforcement after realizing Morgan was not fulfilling the terms of the contract and appeared to have no intention of completing the work.
She discovered that kitchen cabinets she had paid for had never been ordered. Additionally, Morgan failed to pay an HVAC company for services rendered, resulting in a mechanic’s lien of $8,890 being filed against her property.
The investigation revealed that Eric Morgan DBA Rugged Construction does not possess a contractor’s license, does not carry insurance, and has no bond on file with the Vanderburgh County Building Commission. No building permit had been applied for or obtained for the project, and no inspections were conducted. As a result, much of the work performed will likely need to be dismantled and redone.
Investigators also learned that a permit for a room addition had been submitted under another individual’s name. When contacted, that individual denied applying for the permit and stated their personal information had been used without their knowledge or consent. The permit was apparently submitted online.
Furthermore, the construction contract itself failed to meet legal requirements under Indiana law. Because Rugged Construction is not properly licensed or bonded, the company is not legally authorized to enter into contracts or accept payments for construction services in Vanderburgh County.
The Vanderburgh County Building Commission is currently working with the victim to bring the project into compliance, ensure proper permits are issued, and bring the structure up to code—an effort that will require significant time, effort, and expense.
Eric Morgan was located at his residence and taken into custody without incident by deputies and members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. He was transported to the Vanderburgh County Jail, where he is being held on a $5,000 bond pending his court appearance.
Morgan is currently out on bond in connection with another Home Improvement Fraud case also investigated by the Sheriff’s Office. It is believed that additional agencies are investigating him for similar offenses. In 2017, Morgan was convicted in federal court of Securities Fraud related to an investment scam that resulted in approximately $650,000 in losses.
ARRESTED:
Eric Nicholas Morgan, 41, of Evansville
Charges:
- Theft – Level 5 Felony (1 count)
- Fraud – Level 5 Felony (1 count)
- Theft – Level 6 Felony (5 counts)
- Fraud – Level 6 Felony (5 counts)
Presumption of Innocence Notice: The fact that a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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