A Butler man was charged with felony theft after police said he failed to fulfill a work contract of $77,090.

David L. Birckbichler, 44, was charged by Buffalo Township police in regard to a report they received Sept. 6.

According to the affidavit, a homeowner told police he entered a contract with Birckbichler regarding construction work in November 2020. Police said Birckbichler was initially paid more than $48,000 for project materials, as well as four payments amounting to thousands of dollars throughout 2021. The total sum paid was $77,090.

Birckbichler assured the homeowner in late November 2021 that he would return in April 2022 to complete the project, police said. In July, Birckbichler reached out to the homeowner via email saying he could not complete the project due to insurance issues.

Police said Birckbichler mentioned returning the funds to the homeowner since another contractor could not be found to complete the project. According to charging documents, the funds have not been returned.

As of Friday, Birckbichler’s preliminary hearing before District Judge Sue Haggerty was not scheduled.