Seabrook, NH, Contractor Charged With Larceny for Incomplete Jobs

Police in Newburyport and Marblehead worked to locate and arrest a Seabrook contractor who allegedly accepted large deposits for home improvement jobs that never completed.

Robert Merrill, 32, was the subject of a search by police in West Newbury, Merrimac, Amesbury, Haverhill, and North Reading, according to Newburyport City Marshal Mark Murray and Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King. The warrants go back to 2021.

A Better Business Bureau profile of RLM Construction, showing Robert Merrill of Seabrook as the owner, has four complaints posted. They have a common theme of money paid for work not done, and a lack of communication with Merrill about their respective projects.

Three of four reviews are only one star, and have similar negative comments. The fourth review gave five stars and praised the company's work.

Officers were able to locate Merrill in Marblehead Tuesday where he was working, and take him into custody on six active arrest warrants, two of which were obtained by Newburyport Police.

He was charged with two counts of larceny over $1,200. He was arraigned Wednesday and held on $50,000 bail.

“This was a lengthy investigation into alleged crimes that cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars, and this arrest is the direct result of the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies,” said Marshal Murray. “We are grateful for the support of Marblehead Police and all of our law enforcement partners on the North Shore.”

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH