Significant-conclusion dwelling builder arrested soon after clients just take him to court

ATLANTA – A large-close property builder enterprise CEO finds himself in court docket pushing back again in opposition to purchasers who say he stole their dollars. And a ton of it. An Atlanta pair wanted him arrested. 

Mikel Muffley is a realtor. He owns Muffley Residences “master luxury builders.” His business advertises it does it all: buys the great deal, supplies the architect, facilitates the funding, and hires a contractor. Large-end potential buyers with significant-finish anticipations. 

“For the reason that we experienced so several challenges with past builders, this was to create a much more clear procedure,” Muffley informed a Fulton County decide in late November. 

But fuzzy accounting not transparency was what a customer claimed at his legal warrant hearing. They wished Muffley arrested for theft. 

“Our account was drained and emptied by the time we terminated our agreement,” reported former customer Kasey Asarch. 

Asarch and her partner hired Mikel Muffley’s organization in 2020. 

“He offered us on his motto, develop the dwelling, promote yours, aspiration property, best cost,” she explained.

She said delays set off the initial alarms. Muffley’s attorney Raymond Giudice blamed the pandemic.

“There were being delays,” he claimed. “There were supply shortages.”

Asarch’s lawyer reported his consumer discovered some of the a lot more than $181,000 they compensated to go to sellers didn’t normally go to their task. 

“The architect had not been compensated in total, but the ledgers indicated that he experienced,” Legal professional Scott Fortas said.

The Muffley Properties bookkeeper at the time, Sharon Adams, testified that she noticed the exact same with the plumber payments. 

“The revenue was taken out of the Asarch career account and the income was put in a different work account,” Adams explained.

Muffley’s counsel pushed back again with this question to his consumer, “Did you deliberately divert, steal, choose, carry off, conceal, fraudulently consider from Mr. and Mrs. Asarch?”  To which he replied, “Certainly not.”

Muffley blamed his former bookkeeper who testified versus him. A great deal Adams’s fault, he reported, punctuating his position with, “Two hundred per cent.”

The listening to included a testy again and forth between Muffley and his previous client’s counsel. 

“So you’re up in this article, you are disclaiming any responsibility, but it’s your business accurate?” Fortas requested.

“Appropriate,” the embattled CEO answered. 

“I suggest it’s Mikel Muffley, that’s your identify, suitable? So if you’re not overseeing issues, who his overseeing items?” 

“My accredited contractor and my bookkeeper,” Muffley snapped again.

Neither the contractor nor Adams will work any more time for the organization. 

“I really don’t treatment if you carry in a CPA or a Harvard master’s in finance, they are still heading to appear back and inform you we are shorter,” Adams explained defending herself. 

Then a surprising electronic mail was launched. It appeared to be from Muffley to a former worker asking him for “fluffed up (manipulated)” financials. It went on to study, “If you have to, (sic) place in some fictitious funds ranges.” It goes on. “Lie on this” in buy to get the Asarch loan accepted. “Basically, build a untrue financial…”

Even just before the evidence was formally entered, Muffley objected to the written content. 

“This is a fabricated e mail. I did not publish that e-mail,” he said.

He once more blamed his previous bookkeeper for having a hand it in, even although she did not even work for the company at the time. But he available no evidence. 

“I may perhaps have prepared some form of it, but it’s been added to,” he mentioned. 

His attorney reiterated this situation belongs in civil courtroom, not a criminal location. 

The choose disagreed. 

Muffley was arrested for conversion of payments for authentic residence advancements. He was produced on his individual recognizance. 

The Asarch’s home sits uncompleted two and a 50 percent many years right after signing a contract with Muffley Residences. 

Fortas believes this arrest has perked up the ears of other customers. 

“I really do not assume we’ve listened to the conclude of this.”