PERU, IN — This from fox59.com: A Peru man was charged after investigators say he operated a construction business where he allegedly took thousands of dollars from customers for projects that were never started.
Matthew Schleppenbach, 51, was charged with the following:
- Corrupt Business Influence, a Level 5 felony
- Theft, a Level 6 felony
- 4 counts
According to court documents, Schleppenbach allegedly scammed 20 people out of a combined total of $236,504.24.
The first reported incident was on Nov. 3, 2024, where two individuals wrote Schleppenbach a check for $67,000 for a barndominium project. After sporadic communication, they sent an additional $25,080 for concrete and windows, for a total of $92,080.
When asked about timeline updates, Schleppenbach would allegedly delay the work before eventually ceasing communications. Court documents say that he carried out similar schemes to 20 victims on various projects at different prices.
The final reported incident began on Dec. 4, 2025, when an individual wrote a check for $18,451 for a construction project to be complete by Christmas. Schleppenbach confirmed the work would be done before Christmas, but the work was never completed.
Schleppenbach was arrested on Dec. 23, 2025, for a probation violation of a Cass County case. The violation stemmed from two theft charges filed in Fulton County.
Of the 20 cases, three are in Fulton County, one is in White County, and 16 of the cases are in Cass County. Schleppenbach Construction is located in Miami County.
This is an active investigation. Information will be updated as it becomes available.
