Project Manager Accused Of Swindling More Than $350,000 To Remodel His Cabin

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A northern Minnesota man is accused of embezzling more than $350,000 from the Twin Cities construction company he worked for and using the funds to remodel his cabin.

Cale Lavoie, 46, of Pillager, is charged with three counts of theft by swindle, the Hennepin County Attorney's office says.

Between January 2015 and February 2017, Lavoie was employed as a project manager for Shingobee Builders, a construction company based in Hennepin County.

During that time, Lavoie inflated the bids of nine proposals from three subcontractors, the attorney's office says, citing a criminal complaint.

Lavoie would allegedly split the excess funds with the subcontractors or pocket the difference for himself.

The CEO of Shingobee Builders became suspicious when Lavoie announced he was leaving the company. A review of Lavoie's emails allegedly showed inflated bids.

Additional emails, a spreadsheet and bank records attained by police suggested that Lavoie was using the excess funds to pay for construction work on his cabin in Baxter.

Lavoie is slated to appear in court on Sept. 18.