Kingsley contractor accused of taking $400,000 for unfinished home projects

A Kingsley contractor is accused of collecting more than $400,000 from homeowners across northern Michigan and leaving home additions and other projects unfinished, a case investigators say may be part of a broader pattern that has cost customers and trade workers about $1 million.

Michigan State Police identified the man as Travis Reimer, 55, of Kingsley. Investigators said the alleged conduct stretched from 2017 to the present and involved projects in Benzie, Grand Traverse and Antrim counties. Police said some subcontractors completed portions of the work but were not paid, with money instead allegedly used for personal gain.

Reimer was arrested Jan. 28, 2026, and arraigned the next day in Benzie County on two counts of contractor fraud and fraudulent use of building contract funds. As the case widened, the Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office later filed four counts of contractor fraud and fraudulent use of building contract funds. Reimer turned himself in at the Grand Traverse County Jail on April 7, 2026, and was scheduled to return to court April 21.

The allegations have raised concerns well beyond one contractor’s business, especially in a region where homeowners often rely on deposits and phased payments to keep projects moving. In this case, police said the warning signs included work that stalled after payments were made and subcontractors who said they were left unpaid. That pattern, investigators said, affected multiple families and workers across several northern Michigan counties.

The case also connects to a growing complaint trail involving contractor fraud in northern Michigan. In early February, an alleged victim said the case appeared to show a pattern, and subcontractor Ben Adams said he worked for Reimer in 2019 and was given excuses that he needed to finish work so Reimer could get paid by a client and then pay him. Later reporting said detectives believe the alleged fraud reached roughly $1 million across several counties, and Reimer was also facing an additional charge in Leelanau County.

Michigan State Police urged possible victims to contact the Traverse City Post at 231-938-0714. For Grand Traverse County homeowners, the case is a reminder that unfinished work, unpaid subcontractors and repeated delays can be early indicators of trouble long before a job is formally abandoned.