Contractor wanted in several Mass. communities arrested for allegedly taking large deposits, performing no work

Multiple Massachusetts police departments worked together to locate and arrest a local contractor who is charged with multiple counts of larceny for allegedly accepting money from clients and then not performing work.

On the morning of Tuesday, October 4, Newburyport Police, working in collaboration with Marblehead Police and other law enforcement partners, were able to locate 32-year-old Robert Merrill in the Town of Marblehead. Merrill was taken into custody on six active arrest warrants, two of which were obtained by Newburyport Police.

Newburyport Police, as well as police departments in West Newbury, Merrimac, Amesbury, Haverhill and North Reading, had been seeking Merrill since 2021 in connection with allegations that he repeatedly took large deposits of money for home improvement work and then never performed the work.

Newburyport Detective Chris McDonald was the lead investigator on the case, and worked with the U.S. Veterans Affairs Police at the Bedford VA Hospital, as well as the Marblehead Police Department and North Reading Police, to develop a possible location where Merrill was working in Marblehead.

Marblehead Police located Merrill at that location in Marblehead on Tuesday and took him into custody.

Merrill was arrested on six active arrest warrants, including two obtained by Newburyport Police which charge him with Larceny over $1,200 (Two Counts)

“This was a lengthy investigation into alleged crimes that cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars, and this arrest is the direct result of the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies,” said Marshal Murray. “We are grateful for the support of Marblehead Police and all of our law enforcement partners on the North Shore.”

MERRILL was arraigned Wednesday in Newburyport District Court, where he was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail.