Scottdale contractor Jason Pirl said life just got away from him after he suffered two heart attacks in October 2020.

His health crisis in the midst of the raging coronavirus pandemic left his home repair business in tatters.

Then ongoing alcohol and gambling addictions made his problems worse, Pirl said. His testimony came when he was sentenced Thursday to serve an additional five to 10 years in prison for bilking 16 Westmoreland County homeowners from 2017 to 2022.

Prosecutors said Pirl, 43, collected more than $165,000 in that period for work he never performed.

“I could never catch up, then one person put me in the news, and it all went whack,” Pirl testified. “I just want to apologize to all the people. I never intended to hurt anyone. Everything just backfired and went downhill.”

Pirl asked that any additional prison time would run concurrent to the five- to 10-year sentence he was ordered to serve after pleading guilty last year to similar charges in Fayette County.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger didn’t bite.

“This is con man stuff,” Krieger said. “This wasn’t one isolated gambling problem. Your behavior was predatory. I don’t think you’re going to pay them back no matter what you did. Usually when I sentence people, I tell them they are not evil. I’m not so sure in this case. There is a level of behavior here that shows a lack of empathy and callousness.”

Pirl also previously pleaded guilty and received concurrent sentences for theft charges for bilking additional home repair customers in Somerset County.

Krieger sentenced Pirl to a series of consecutive sentences. In all, he will serve at least 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for his three-county crime spree.

Krieger said Pirl’s criminal record, which dates to 2005 for similar crimes, justified additional prison time.

Pirl in January pleaded guilty to 20 felony counts including theft and other related offenses in seven separate cases involving 16 different victims.

Linda Moore, 75, of Greensburg testified she paid Pirl $9,650 to repaint and refinish a bathroom, work he never completed.

“He is friendly and confident when he enters your home. To think this friendly man would be this devious thief I found absolutely heartbreaking. That’s a lot of money for me to flush down the toilet,” Moore said.

James Klingensmith paid Pirl $20,000 to replace his home air ducts and perform other repairs. He urged the judge to impose additional time behind bars.

“A longer jail sentence will prevent him from further deception,” Klingensmith said.

Barbara Nino said Pirl was paid $3,300 to repaint her home. He never started the job.

“Before I hired Mr. Pirl, I never questioned people’s reputation. I went on Angie’s List, and it seemed like he would do a good job. It’s just a shame someone would do that to hardworking people,” Nino said.

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