Massachusetts construction company owner sent to prison for fraud across Northeast

A Pittsfield man was sentenced to prison for more than two dozen charges of larceny in connection to operating a construction business across the Northeast and never finishing projects after being partially paid.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Pittsfield man was sentenced to prison for more than two dozen charges of larceny in connection to operating a construction business and never finishing projects after being partially paid.

According to the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office, Fred Senter was found guilty in Berkshire Superior Court on 19 counts of larceny over $1,200, one count of larceny under $1,200, and five counts of larceny over $250 from a victim over the age of 60. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 8 to 10 years in state prison on 25 larceny-related charges.

Senter operated Northern Steel Buildings and Structures in Lee since 2018, specializing in building carports and steel structures. From February 2020 to September 2020, Senter was contracted to build steel garages or carports and required a 50% deposit before beginning work. However, once he received those payments, the work never began. In one of the contracts, Senter did the minimum amount of work needed for a contract with the Richmond Volunteer Fire Department.

There were a total of 18 victims in the case ranging from Berkshire County to other areas of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Victims lost over a combined $300,000 for work promised to be completed.

Berkshire District Attorney Shugrue Timothy stated, “Ultimately Senter collected hundreds-of-thousands of dollars out of the pockets of families and small business owners. The Defendant created and continued a pattern of fraud which was sustained over a period of time. Senter’s attempt to financially rob people with no accountability for his actions is unacceptable. Financial fraud is not just emotionally draining but also places real stress on small businesses and individuals.”