Sarasota County Business Owner Faces Criminal Charges

Key Information

• Individual Arrested: Todd Hoch, 47, owner of Sash & Sill
• Location: Sarasota County, Nokomis, FL
• Charges: 17 counts of larceny, 5 counts of embezzlement
• Bankruptcy: Filed personal and business bankruptcy in August 2024
• Arraignment Date: September 26, 2024
• Status: Held without bond

Todd Hoch, the proprietor of a Sarasota window and door company known as Sash & Sill, faced arrest on August 28 in Sarasota County after the business declared bankruptcy last year.

Hoch, aged 47 from Nokomis, faces multiple serious charges, as detailed in online arrest records, including:

• 17 counts of larceny for a contractor’s failure to refund excess value of work, ranging from $1,000 to $20,000.
• Five counts of embezzlement, misappropriating construction funds totaling at least $100,000.
• Five counts of larceny for a contractor’s failure to refund excess value of work, from $20,000 to $200,000.

This arrest follows Hoch’s arraignment in Charlotte County on two felony charges for accepting payments for unfinished jobs. He has pleaded not guilty to those allegations.

Currently, Hoch is being detained without bond on the new charges, with an arraignment set for September 26.

The arrest was prompted by numerous complaints from customers who alleged that Sash & Sill accepted significant deposits for work that was never completed, leading to investigations at both local and state levels.

In August 2024, Hoch filed for personal bankruptcy alongside a Chapter 7 bankruptcy for Sash & Sill. During that period, the Sarasota County General Contractors Licensing and Examining Board found him guilty of fraud and abandonment. He was also cited for receiving money for construction services without applying for the necessary permits or commencing any work. A complaint involved an instance where a homeowner deposited $19,560 for windows and doors, which were never delivered. Consequently, Hoch is now prohibited from obtaining permits in Sarasota County.

Hoch attributed some of his challenges to cash flow issues, explaining during the board hearing last year that previously, he could pay distributors for windows and doors only after the completion of jobs. However, the circumstances had changed in 2024; he stated: “We had to pay in full for new material” upfront, forcing him to use funds from new jobs to cover the materials needed for older unfinished orders.

Expressing regret in a prepared statement to the Business Observer after the board hearing, Hoch said, “I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the customers of Sash & Sill whose projects were not completed. It has been the most difficult situation that I have ever gone through.”