Pahrump contractor accused of scamming three victims out of $200,000

A Pahrump contractor accused of taking about $200,000 from three victims for home-improvement work was back in a Pahrump courtroom, turning what began as a private job dispute into a broader consumer-protection case for Nye County. The hearing took place in Pro Tem Judge Michael Foley’s courtroom and showed the matter moving through the local justice system as a financial-crime allegation, not just a broken contract.

The allegations against John Pereyda follow a trail of earlier complaints from Pahrump homeowners who said they paid up front and did not get the work they were promised. Adriana Salzer said she and her husband hired Pereyda in February 2025 for front-yard turf, backyard turf, pool-related work and concrete around the home. She said the only project completed was the front-yard turf, which she said was done poorly. In one report, Salzer said she lost more than $70,000.

Another Pahrump resident told the Pahrump Valley Times that Pereyda never completed work despite a $13,500 payment. KSNV also reported that Recon Salazar and another victim, Roxy, alleged Pereyda took money for major home projects that were never done. Those accounts described the kind of warning signs that often surface too late in contractor cases: money collected before the job is finished, work left incomplete and communication that stops when homeowners start asking questions.

KPVM later reported that Pereyda was already making restitution payments on previous fraud allegations and was facing new charges, underscoring that the June 3 hearing was part of a longer pattern rather than a one-off dispute. For homeowners in Pahrump and across Nye County, the case is a reminder that large remodels and yard projects can quickly become legal and financial crises when trust replaces oversight.

The Nevada State Contractors Board says contracting without a license is unlawful in Nevada. The board says a first offense is a misdemeanor, a second offense is a gross misdemeanor and a third offense is a Class E felony. Its consumer guidance also says unlicensed-contractor complaints are investigated and can be pursued through the justice court system after that review.

For residents lining up home-improvement work, the lesson is straightforward: verify the contractor’s license, insist on a written contract and be wary of large payments before work is complete. In a town where word of mouth still carries weight, the cost of getting it wrong can be measured in unfinished homes and tens of thousands of dollars lost.