MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- The owner of a local roofing company and the Plymouth Speedway was officially charged with two level 6 felony counts of Theft earlier this month, following an incident that occurred in November of 2023. 

It is alleged that 56-year-old Kevin Sauer bounced three checks at the Menard's hardware store in Mishawaka between Nov. 18-19, 2023. 

The three checks were for $4,879, $1,650.13, and $4,559.60.

According to authorities, all three checks were returned by Everwise bank for insufficient funds.

"Menard's employees contacted Sauer on multiple occasions and spoke with Sauer who repeatedly stated he would come into the store and repay the amount of money he had cashed," authorities said. "However, after three months of Sauer not coming in, Menard's filed a police report." 

That report was filed on Feb. 9, 2024, and detectives requested a search warrant to review the bank account the checks had been written from.

After reviewing Sauer's bank account, it was determined that the account did not have sufficient funds to cover the roughly $11,100 owed from the three bad checks.

"There were two Menard's employees who cashed the three checks for Sauer," authorities said. "Sauer's identification card was confirmed during the transactions. Mishawaka Officers administered separate a double bline lineup to both employees. Both employees positively identified Sauer as the person who had cashed the three checks."

In 2018, Sauer was charged with Contracting Without a License after Hurricane Michael, a category five hurricane that struck Flordia's panhandle. 

"Agencies across the area were getting numerous complaints of shoddy workmanship from roofing contractors as well as incidents of scamming involving contracting work," a WBDJ article reads.