Forest City contractor who defrauded clients sentence to probation

FOREST CITY — A Forest City contractor accused of defrauding clients has been given suspended prison sentences and placed on probation. 

45-year-old Joshua Follman was charged with ongoing criminal conduct, a Class B felony, as well as three counts of first-degree theft and one count of second-degree theft.

Forest City police filed charges in November 2023 dealing with three separate home improvement projects Follman was hired to do.

In May 2022, he allegedly agreed to replace windows in a home, received an upfront payment of $22,000 but never did the work.

Also in May 2022, he agreed to replace siding on a different home, received an upfront payment, and then started but never completed the work.

In the third case, a homeowner paid upfront to put a steel roof on their house, with Follman putting on used materials, that it was installed poorly, and that the homeowner was overcharged.

Follman as part of a plea agreement pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree theft, each a Class C felony. He was sentenced this week by District Judge Blake Norman to a ten-year prison sentence on each charge, with each sentence being suspended. He was also placed on a total of five years probation.