An Ocala man who was hired to repair a roof is facing a grand theft charge after he allegedly failed to start the work after receiving a payment of over $7,000.

In October 2024, the homeowners/victims contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and advised that they had given a $7,200 check to a man, identified as Reynaldo Lagunez Martinez, on August 21, 2024. These funds were meant to cover the cost of materials so that Martinez could complete a roofing job at their home, according to the arrest report.

The victims told the sheriff’s office that they have known Martinez for more than seven years, and he had completed work for them in the past. They further advised that shortly after handing the $7,200 check to Martinez, he provided them with paperwork indicating that he worked for a construction company.

According to the victims, the paperwork regarding the construction company had Martinez’s name on it as one of the authorized signatures, though it appeared to have expired in June of 2022.

The victims stated that Martinez was supposed to start working on their roof “between 2 to 3 days after (he) received the check.” However, the victims claimed that they did not hear back from Martinez, and they were forced to hire another company to complete the roofing work two months later, according to the report.

An MCSO corporal contacted the owner of the construction company referenced in the paperwork Martinez had provided to the victims. The corporal noted in the report that the owner confirmed that Martinez’s employment at the company had ended in 2022.

During an ensuing investigation, the corporal further learned that Martinez had cashed the $7,200 check at a Bank of America branch in Belleview on August 21, 2024, which is the same date he had received the check.

The corporal responded to Martinez’s residence located on Juniper Pass in Ocala. During an interview, Martinez confirmed that he had been hired by the victims to complete a roofing job. He stated that he had given an unknown individual $5,000 for the materials needed to complete the job, though he claimed he was “never given the materials.”

In addition, Martinez claimed that the “left over $2,200” was payment for another job that he had allegedly completed at the victims’ home. After interviewing Martinez, the corporal contacted the victims, and they advised that the $7,200 was “only for material(s).” The victims further alleged that Martinez was “lying” and did not complete a job that would have resulted in a $2,200 payment.

Martinez was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. He was released the following day after posting a $3,000 bond, and he is being charged with grand theft (over $5,000 but less than $10,000).

A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.