Mark John Melchiori
SANTA BARBARA — With Santa Barbara’s residential and commercial real estate values reaching record highs, property owners are eagerly investing in construction improvements, remodels, and new structures.
For nearly two decades, the Melchiori Construction Company has been one of the premier firms winning substantial contracts on a range of high end projects throughout the South County area, including major projects on the UCSB campus and notable downtown Santa Barbara major commercial renovations, including the landmark Granada Theater.
With the arrest on June 2nd of the company president, Mark John Melchiori, 49, however, the future of the construction company is now a question mark.
According to Santa Barbara Chief Deputy District Attorney Kelly Scott, Melchiori “turned himself in to authorities and was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $395,000” when he was made aware of the criminal charges being filed against him and the arrest warrant issued pursuant to those charges.
His arrest follows a protracted investigation into the operation of his company that began in 2012, conducted by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office, and the California Department of Industrial Relations and the Division of Labor Standards.
Allegations of grand theft, conspiracy, wage fraud, embezzlement, and diversion of construction funds surfaced in 2012 at the behest of Melchiori Construction Company’s sub-contractors and employees who initially filed complaints to law enforcement that detailed missed payrolls and depleted employee retirement accounts.
According to Scott, the criminal complaints against Melchiori fill 31 pages of a criminal complaint detailing purloined funds approaching a total of $1 million.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
