New Smyrna Beach Contractor Ordered to Repay Customers for Abandoned Projects

A contractor in New Smyrna Beach has been ordered to repay 32 clients whose projects he was said to have abandoned. 52-year-old Eric Bartolozzi was accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars with his company, Serene Pavers and Stonescaping Inc. The incidents in question occurred between 2022 and 2024 according to prosecutors. Bartolozzi was said to have accepted $223,348.91 from the 32 clients who cooperated with the investigation. Once he received the payments, he allegedly transferred the deposits and payments from his business account into his personal account. Once the funds were in Bartolozzi's own account, prosecutors said, they were used for a number of personal expenses. This included new pickup trucks bought for himself and his domestic partner. Before his business closed, Bartolozzi reportedly moved to a new home in Wyoming. The investigation into the series of incidents was carried out by several cooperating law enforcement agencies. These included the Volusia Sheriff's Office, Daytona Beach Police Department, Edgewater Police Department, New Smyrna Beach Police Department, Town of Ponce Inlet Police Department, and Port Orange Police Department. In November 2024, Bartolozzi was arrested for fraud and money laundering over $100,000, organized scheme to defraud over $50,000, and misappropriation of funds from $20,000 to $100,000. On Wednesday, he pleaded no contest to misappropriation of construction funds between $1,000 and $100,000. Bartolozzi was sentenced to four years probation by Circuit Judge Kathryn Weston, conditional on his repayment of the victims' money. "It is rare we are able to get full restitution for all our victims," said State Attorney R.J. Larizza. "This resolution was the result of great coordination between several law enforcement agencies. I hope the restitution helps our victims move forward."