TITUS COUNTY, Texas — A Dallas-area contractor was arrested on a theft charge Sunday evening after officials say he abandoned a barndominium project that was under construction and left the financial burden on the property owner in Titus County last year.
Zachary Taylor Holt was arrested in Collin County on warrants for property theft between $30,000 and $150,000 from Titus County.
According to the Titus County Sheriff's Office, Holt entered into a contract in July 2022 to build a barndominium for a customer in Titus County. Before the construction was complete, officials said Holt abandoned the project, placing the burden on the property owner to pay for the completion.
Sheriff's office investigators began looking into Holt's activities in North Texas and learned that he had a pattern of abandoning construction projects after getting most of the payment. In most of those cases, the affected customers had to spend twice as much as money or more to finish the projects, the TCSO said.
Statements from Holt's other customers showed a clear pattern of fraudulent activity, the sheriff's office said. After presenting a probable cause affidavit to the Titus County District Attorney's Office, Holt was charged with theft.
In July, officials told Holt about the warrant for his arrest and had promised to turn himself in, the sheriff's office said.
"Most of the victims from other jurisdictions appear to have been told their only recourse for Holt's actions is to pursue damages through civil means," the Titus County Sheriff's Office said. "It is our belief that the repetitive and frequent nature of Holt's actions, rose to the level of proving Holt's intent do defraud. We are aware that there are several other agencies now looking more closely into complaints of Holt's activities."