A Lockport businessman was arraigned on an indictment Tuesday after he allegedly accepted nearly $40,000 from customers and failed to do the work he was hired for, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
According to officials, Wayne Michalak, 52, owner and operator of WNY Backyard Enclosures, LLC, accepted down payments from Marilla, Blasdell, and Tonawanda residents three times in 2022.
A homeowner in the Town of Marilla paid Michalak $28,889.38 for his attached garage. The contractor was engaged to install garages and patios; however, it is claimed that he did not complete any of the work.
WNY Backyard Enclosures is not Better Business Bureau accredited.
Michalak was charged with three counts of third-degree grand larceny. If convicted, he faces seven years in prison and is set to appear in court on May 29.