Broome County District Attorney F. Paul Battisti has announced that Timothy E. Hoose, Sr., 51, of Berkshire, was found guilty of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree following a jury trial that concluded today in Broome County Court before the Honorable Carol A. Cocchiola.
The conviction stems from criminal conduct that occurred between September 2023, and January 2024, in the Town of Windsor. During that time, Mr. Hoose, while doing business as H&H Contracting, entered into a construction contract with the victim to build a garage structure on the victim’s property. Pursuant to that contract, the victim paid a $15,000.00 down payment.
Evidence presented at trial established that Mr. Hoose illegally converted over $3,000.00 of those funds for purposes unrelated to the project. Under New York State Lien Law, Mr. Hoose was required to hold the down payment in trust on behalf of the victim and was legally required to use that money solely for the project and to properly account for the funds.
Mr. Hoose further failed to provide the victim with an accounting and disposition of the trust funds despite a written request made pursuant to the Lien Law.
“This conviction is another example of the collaborative prosecution among the District Attorney’s Office and Law Enforcement working together to hold offenders accountable and protect victims from financial exploitation. Contractors who abuse their position of trust and misuse client funds will be prosecuted, and we will continue to pursue justice for those harmed by this type of conduct. New York State’s Lien Law exists to protect homeowners from this kind of misconduct,” said Battisti.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Nathaniel O’Neil prosecuted this case for the Broome County District Attorney’s Office with the assistance of District Attorney Investigator John Butler. This case was investigated by the Broome County Sheriff’s Office. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18, 2026, in Broome County Court before Hon. Carol A. Cocchiola, where Mr. Hoose faces up to seven (7) years in State Prison.
