When he was a superintendent for Dream Finders Homes seven years ago, Michael Struhar was charged with grand theft involving a $5,000 check, a charge later reduced to petit theft and eventually dropped following a deferred-prosecution agreement.
On Friday, Struhar, who “owned and operated” Sunshine State Contractor Services, according to a sheriff’s report, was arrested on a charge of grand theft after allegedly defrauding a B-Section couple of a $40,000 deposit for contract work that was never done. The company was not active past 2024, according to the state Division of Corporations.
The agreement dated back to the end of last year, and the money cleared a bank by wire transfer in mid-December. The work was to take three months. Other than painting a wall, no one ever came to the residence to complete the work. They received a text from Struhar in early April. It was the last communication they’d had with him. They demanded a refund by certified mail, and got notice that the letter was signed for in mid-May.
A Flagler County Sheriff’s subpoena for data on the Sunshine State bank accounting showed that last December, “the total of ATM & debit card withdrawals was $11,513.33, with none of those purchases for material or work,” according to the sheriff’s report. “There are recurring payments to the website ‘Whatnot,’ an online auction site. In December 2025, total electronic withdrawals were $33,550. consisting of numerous Zelle payments. By the end of December 2025, the account balance was $482.72 negative.”
By May, the sheriff’s detective documented almost $6,000 in deposits, with no amounts going to the homeowners owed the $40,000. The detective’s trip to the St. Augustine address listed as Struhar’s home–253 Cowry Road–was fruitless: he’d been evicted. The detective spoke to his ex-wife. “She knew [Struhar] was in trouble because contractors kept coming to her house demanding money, claiming that Michael had not paid them for the work,” the detective reported. Meanwhile, Struhar was buying signed baseball cards.
After his ex received the certified letter from the B-Section house, she forwarded it to Struhar, who wrote back, “all good, already taken care of.”
A March traffic ticket Struhar got in Flagler County for driving on a suspended license showed his address to be 160 Pine Arbor Circle in St. Augustine.
Last Friday, the sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit and Problem Area Crime Enforcement (PACE) Unit arrested Struhar for grand theft of more than $20,000. He was booked at the county jail on $50,000 bond–which he posted, even though it required $5,000 in cash to do so.
“He painted one wall and called it a day,” Sheriff Rick Staly was quoted as saying in a release. “Contractors who think they can come to Flagler County and pocket someone’s money should think again. Our detectives will relentlessly track down scammers and thieves posing as honest professionals.
The Flagler Home Builders Association enables consumers to verify licensed builders and contractors on its website at flaglerhba.com. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has a state license look-up tool at myfloridalicense.com.
The Sheriff’s Office advises that before signing anything, verify the license, ask for proof of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and call two or three past customers to ask how the job actually went. Get the full scope of work, payment schedule, start date, and completion date in writing. Reputable contractors do not ask for most of the money up front. A reasonable down payment is fine, but if someone wants the bulk of the contract before any work begins, walk away.
Pay by check or card so the money leaves a paper trail, never in cash, and hold back a final payment until the work is finished and any permits are closed out. Also, get a lien release for each payment made.
The investigation is active and ongoing. Detectives believe Struhar and Sunshine State Contractor Services may have victimized additional people in the area. Anyone who has done business with Struhar or his company and believes they were defrauded is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s non-emergency line at 386-313-4911.
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