Published: July 02, 2008 10:55 pm         

Witnesses testify against contractor

Five people took the witness stand in Raleigh County Circuit Court Tuesday morning, testifying about the money they lost because of unfinished or incorrect construction work that resulted from their hiring of Matthew Peelish’s construction company, MGP.

Peelish, 44, formerly of Beckley, pleaded guilty in May to three felony counts of obtaining goods by false pretenses and was sentenced June 12 by Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick to two to 20 years in prison.

Because the exact amount of restitution, as well as a payment schedule by which Peelish would pay back his victims was uncertain at the time of his sentencing, Kirkpatrick scheduled Tuesday’s supplementary hearing to clear up the matter.

Peelish, who resided in Chesapeake, Va., before his incarceration, did not dispute $9,710 he allegedly owes to Bradley S. Cook, $5,855 owed to West Virginia Glass or $5,000 owed to David Blankenship.

He did however question money owed to the Christian Life Center, Roger Phillips, Clarence Bays, Ira Gangopadhyay and Greg and Kimberly Lester, who testified about incomplete work and construction errors which, in many cases, cost them extra money in addition to what they paid Peelish.

“We trusted him and paid him up front, which wasn’t smart,” said Kimberly Lester, who hired MGP to build a garage. “Basically, he just didn’t come back.”

Marianna Weigand, controller for Peelish’s construction company in Chesapeake, testified regarding construction jobs on which his company is currently and will be working.

Weigand told the court the company had several projects in the works and would fail without the guidance of Peelish.

Christopher Lefler, Peelish’s attorney, asked that Kirkpatrick consider releasing Peelish on probation in order for him to keep his company operating, which would allow him to pay restitution to his victims.

Kirkpatrick said he would take the matter under consideration and issue a “written ruling as soon as possible.”

— E-mail: mjames

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