The Missouri Attorney General’s office and Pettis County Prosecuting Attorney have secured a grand jury indictment against a former Warrensburg man accused of exploiting an elderly resident.

The indictment unsealed Wednesday, Jan. 14 charges 37-year-old Nicolas Fontinelli with deceptive business practice, financial exploitation of an elderly person, and stealing at least $750 by deceit. According to the probable cause statement, Fontinelli operated a fabricated building manufacturing firm in Warrensburg until 2023, when he’s believed to have closed the business and left the state. Prosecutors accuse Fontinelli of meeting the victim in September 2022 to discuss a residential construction project in Pettis County, then signing an agreement the following month to build a steel building. The victim, who is identified as disabled and in their 60s, paid Fontinelli $14,695.50 by wire transfer to an account at a Colorado bank, but never received the work or materials. Fontinelli allegedly offered to refund the victim their money over 12 months, but only one payment of $1321.95 was received.

Fontinelli was arrested and arraigned last week on a warrant issued in August 2024. His bond was set at $15,000 cash only. His next hearing date has not yet been set.