A Philadelphia man wanted by Bristol Township Police since September for allegedly deceiving a 60-year-old homeowner who hired him for a roof replacement job was arrested and arraigned on fraud related offenses last week.
Thomas Gibson, 53 was preliminarily arraigned on Saturday July 11 on felony counts of deceptive business practices and theft by deception by on-call District Judge Christopher E. O’Neill and released after the hearing.
According to the probable cause, police were contacted on Tuesday, September 2 on a report of potential contractor fraud.
The complainant told police that on May 27 of 2025, he entered into a contract with Gibson to replace the roof on his house located in the 200 block of Hillcrest Ave in the Croydon section of Bristol Township.
The complainant, according to court records, paid Gibson the total sum of $5,880 in cash. Gibson was supposed to deliver the materials a few days later to begin the work.
Gibson, according to the complainant, never showed up and neither did the materials.
Credit: Lower Bucks Hospital
For the next several months, the 60-year-old homeowner and Gibson had conversations on phone and by text where Gibson promised the work was going to start, but it never did.
As of September 2 2025, no roof replacement materials were delivered, and no work had started on the home improvement project.
Gibson, according to the probable cause, all communications with the homeowner and his phone had been disconnected.
Based on the text messages between Gibson and the complainant, Gibson indirectly acknowledged receiving $5,000 for the work police said.
“I don’t know about you but I don’t have another $5000 to get new materials if some ass**** decides to pull up and take the shingles….“, Gibson allegedly said in the text message exchange.
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The phone number attached to the text message exchanges and on the contract, police said, were matched through an investigative tool law enforcement uses called Leads Online revealed it to be registered to Gibson’s Philadelphia address.
The homeowner provided a document allegedly authored by Gibson that outlines the scope of work, and is dated May 27 2025. It also indicates various payments received by Gibson from the homeowner, according to the probable cause.
Gibson is due back in court on July 29 for a preliminary hearing. He has no attorney of record as of publication time.