Feds want to depose Fall River contractor in bankruptcy case

A federal judge gave a green light to the United States Trustee — the arm of the Department of Justice that polices bankruptcy cases — to depose a Fall River, Massachusetts, home improvement contractor about his financial records.

It is the latest legal setback for Larry Westgate, who is also facing a felony charge for larceny related to a failed backyard project in Stoughton.

The judge’s order allows the U.S. Trustee to send Westgate subpoenas to produce certain financial records by a deadline later this month, along with testifying under oath for scheduled deposition.

Josh Burnett is a bankruptcy attorney who is not involved in the case. At the request of NBC10, he reviewed the court filings and said a large gap between the amount of debt compared to reported income is likely what is catching the attention of the federal government.

“When you have massive losses combined with very little income, that always raises red flags,” Burnett said. “The assumption is, ‘How could you have incurred such a huge amount of debt when you were making such little money?’ A reasonable business person probably wouldn’t do something like that unless there’s something else going on.”

In the criminal case in Stoughton, Westgate is accused of accepting $25,000 from a registered nurse and then never even putting a shovel in the ground for her backyard pool project.

Westgate is due back in court for that case later this month. He also has a pending misdemeanor case in Wrentham District Court for performing work without a license.

NBC10 first reported on Westgate in 2023, when angry customers of his “All Phases Renovations” formed a private Facebook group to trade horror stories and share advice. The group eventually swelled to 80 members after we published our investigation.

Westgate filed for bankruptcy, while homeowners fumed about his new property in Fall River, decked out with a Bruins-themed mancave, or social media posts about his beach vacations.

Last year, Westgate even ran afoul of state investigators when he received a $10,000 fine for illegally transporting and selling puppies from his home.

It is not the first time the U.S. Trustee has taken action against a business owner featured on our “To Catch a Contractor” investigative series.

A similar scenario played out last year with Liam McNeil, a registered nurse practitioner who had a side business as a home improvement contractor.

Homeowners said McNeil left a trail of unfinished projects and a large sum of money he had collected.

Following our story, the U.S. Trustee deposed McNeil and his wife, and later objected to the contractor’s bankruptcy.

Court records show McNeil eventually agreed to waive his bankruptcy discharge, a decision that kept on the hook for nearly $1 million in debts.

“I think people sometimes look at bankruptcy as a ‘get out of jail free’ card,” Burnett said. “It’s very far from that.”

Have a tip for the NBC10 Investigators? Email us at tips@nbcboston.com.