Man accused of stealing nearly $40,000 in Camden County fraud case

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Sunrise Beach man has been charged in Camden County with a pair of felonies after he allegedly took nearly $40,000 from someone without completing contracted work.

Barry Kelley was charged on Friday with stealing more than $25,000 and deceptive business practices. A warrant was issued for his arrest and a $25,000 cash bond was set. He was not listed on the Camden County Jail online roster on Friday afternoon, but court documents say he was arrested on Friday.

The probable cause statement says that Kelley was contracted on June 1, 2024, to build a deck and stairs that reached a dock that would cost $79,500. Kelley allegedly asked for half the pay up front to buy materials and the victim wrote a check for $39,625 on June 2, the statement says.

The contract allegedly stated that work was supposed to begin on June 10, 2024, but it never began. The victim allegedly received a letter from Kelley on Aug. 30 after the victim tried to contact Kelley several times, the statement says.

The letter allegedly stated: “Failure to fulfill project commitment business issues with partners. We will full by paying back contract amount *better and Quicker option is to complete project. Option is to complete project 1) figure to start and finish date *payback* 1) payment plan.”

The victim tried to serve a lawsuit at Kelley’s address, but learned Kelley did not live at his previously stated address, the statement says. Law enforcement spoke with Kelley on Friday morning, where he allegedly admitted to taking the check and using it to pay his personal taxes, the statement says.