A home improvement contractor accused of scamming more than a half a dozen people across several counties will spend more time in jail.

John Bartos pleaded with a judge in Columbiana County Court to be let out on probation as he faced three counts of theft by deception. 

“I stand before you today Your Honor, a humbled man who has put my life in the hands of God,” Bartos said to the judge. “If you give me the opportunity I will work hard every single day, everyday Your Honor, to ensure that there will never be any doubt in this court's mind ever for the opportunity that you gave me.”

Three separate victims claim they paid Bartos and his company GridIron Windows & Doors thousands of dollars in down payments for projects that were never completed. Prosecutors said Bartos took two payments of $2,500 and one payment of $3,500. 

“When I first started my business I was an immature business owner who made a lot of bad mistakes personally and financially,” Bartos said. “For the past 18 months it's been the worst and most difficult time of my life.”

Bartos said at his sentencing that he paid all three victims back in full and blamed his gambling addiction for why he took the money.  

Bartos’s attorneys asked the judge for community service. They presented a letter from Habitat For Humanity to Bartos stating they would allow him to donate his time building a house in Salem as his punishment. 

Bartos’s attorneys also called witnesses to the stand to speak about his character. One witness was a priest who claimed Bartos had changed to a better man during his legal process. Another witness testified that he hired Bartos for a job while his charges were pending. He said he knew Bartos was being accused of theft and hired him to give him a second chance. He testified that Bartos completed all the work and said he was so satisfied with the job that he hired Bartos to come back for another project. 

The judge said paying back the victims was significant but ultimately ordered Bartos to 90 days in jail. He was immediately taken into custody. The maximum time the judge could have sentenced Bartos to was 12 months in prison.

“I see the sheer number of cases that you’ve been involved with in multiple counties and in another state in Western Pennsylvania. I think you’ve been given more than a second chance,” the judge explained to Bartos just before handing down the sentence.

Bartos will also have to serve three years of probation. He said in court that he plans to continue his home improvement business. 

Bartos has previously answered to similar charges in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. In Mahoning County, he was ordered to pay back all of his victims. In Trumbull County, Bartos was sentenced to more than 100 days in jail until he paid back full restitution. 

In total, Bartos’s attorneys said he's paid back all of the victims in his cases totaling more than $100,000.