Convicted contractor's appeal denied | Crime

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision to convict a fraudulent contractor.

James Shell appealed his 2010 felony theft conviction back in 2011, saying that there had been insufficient evidence and the judge's sentence was excessive.

Shell was convicted of felony theft in October of 2010 for stealing from Mt.  Sinai Baptist Church in DeSoto Parish. He agreed to build a fellowship hall for the church and was paid $40,000. Shell only completed about $9,000 worth of work before abandoning the project and fleeing the area.

The jury found him guilty in the 2010 trial, and the judge sentenced him to five years supervised probation and to make $20,000 in restitution to the church.

The appellate court upheld the conviction and stated that Shell's conduct was "outlandish" and clearly "constituted violations of criminal law."

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