Troy Mayer, of Commack, charged with falsely reporting robbery, police say

An unlicensed contractor has been charged with falsely reporting that money paid by a client had been stolen, Suffolk County police said.

Troy Mayer, 36, of Commack, whose company was called Pure Renovations, reported to police in April that a cash payment of $26,300 had been stolen in a robbery, police said. The money had been paid by Port Jefferson homeowners, who hired Mayer to renovate a basement, police said.

Suffolk detectives determined Mayer’s report of the robbery was fabricated. He was charged Friday with grand larceny, falsely reporting an incident, and operating without a contractor license.

Police said Mayer also accepted a payment of $25,000 from the same homeowners but never completed the work.

Mayer pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Sunday in First District Court in Central Islip, according to court records. He was released on his own recognizance.