Luxury Hudson Valley builder indicted amid claims he took nearly $200K for unfinished work
Prosecutors say five victims have been identified in the case. Several previously spoke with News 12 and say the coverage helped bring attention to their situation.
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A Hudson Valley luxury home builder previously accused by homeowners of taking large sums of money for unfinished construction projects has now been indicted.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office says John Falvella, 63, faces charges including second-degree grand larceny, four counts of third-degree grand larceny and scheme to defraud.
Prosecutors say the indictment involves five victims — including two in the Town of Newburgh, one in Maybrook and two others outside Orange County. Authorities say those cases fall under the county’s jurisdiction because Falvella’s construction business operated in Montgomery.
Investigators say Falvella took money from homeowners for construction work that was never completed.
News 12 first reported on the homeowners’ complaints on Nov. 25, 2025, when several families came forward claiming Falvella took hundreds of thousands of dollars for projects that were left unfinished or never started.
At the time, only one criminal case had been filed, while other homeowners said they were pursuing civil cases or were still trying to recover money they say they paid Falvella.
Some of those same homeowners now say they have been identified as victims in the criminal indictment.
Homeowners who spoke with News 12 say they paid Falvella nearly $200,000 combined for construction projects they say were never completed. Several later pursued civil cases and were awarded judgments totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars more, which they say remain unpaid.
“It’s a sigh of relief that the criminal case is moving forward," said Lisa Singh, whose case originally sparked the criminal investigation.
Several homeowners who previously spoke with News 12 say they believe the publicity surrounding the case helped investigators take a closer look.
Lisa Roisland says she paid Falvella about $80,000 to build a home in Maybrook for work that was never completed, and said the story quickly spread after it aired.
“Your story got circulated. People were sending it to me saying, ‘Did you see this?’” Roisland said.
Falvella is scheduled to return to court March 26.
News 12 attempted to contact Falvella, but the phone number listed for his business appeared to be out of service. A message seeking comment was left with his attorney.
