DENVER — Avi Schwalb, half of the father-son duo accused of running a contracting scheme that defrauded dozens of customers over a three-year stretch, was sentenced in Denver District Court to 10 years in prison Monday.
Schwalb, 70, was found guilty in February of 47 counts of theft, money laundering, and violating the state’s organized crime act related to the business practices of Schwalb Builders, which prosecutors allege stole money from customers from 2021 to 2024 and, in some cases, left their homes in ruins.
The 10-year sentence was related to his conviction on the first charge of violating the state's organized crime act. All subsequent charges also carried prison sentences of 2 to 8 years, to be served concurrently with his original sentence.
Avi’s son, Sean Schwalb, recently pleaded not guilty to 51 charges. His trial is not yet scheduled and has faced significant delays.
Five victims came forward to speak during the sentencing, saying Avi was "immoral," did not show remorse, and that they hoped the judge would sentence him to prison, rather than probation.
"If Avi is allowed to continue to be in the community, he will likely continue patterns of greed, avoidance, and blame. I urge you to confine him where his generational cycle of harm will be stopped," victim Karen Davidson said.
Christina Donahue, a prosecutor from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, said the impact on the victims has been "profound." She added that the money taken from victims seemed to fund a lifestyle that led to $50,000-$60,000 per month in credit card statements.
Prosecutors asked for a 24-year prison sentence, while his defense attorney asked for probation, noting that Avi is a family man and that this is his first offense.
Judge Michael Angel said he took all aspects into account, including Avi's health issues, but stated in court that he had concerns that if he sentenced Avi to probation, it would de-emphasize the seriousness of the criminal charges.
► Avi Schwalb, convicted in Colorado contracting scam, sentenced to 10 years in prison:
"While these were not violent acts, extremely harmful to a great number of people," Angel said. "I think it’s clear that serious economic harm occurred."
Both Avi and Sean Schwalb, along with multiple employees of Schwalb Builders, were indicted by a grand jury in December 2024. Some of the employees have accepted plea deals. One former project manager, Kevin Allbritton, is scheduled to go on trial in August.
During Avi’s trial in February, his defense attorney painted Avi as a father trying to help his son after he got in trouble with his business.
Prosecutors were able to make the connection of Avi’s involvement through a trail of money passing through the Schwalb Builders business account into multiple other bank accounts, some of which were only controlled by Avi.
Depositions from a civil case filed by a victim of Schwalb Builders were introduced during the criminal trial and strengthened the connection between Avi and Schwalb Builders. The depositions also noted that Avi had connections to the mob as a sort of threat.
Denver7 Investigates has reported on Schwalb Builders for more than two years and has spoken with multiple victims of the scheme. In most cases, the victims said they dealt with a project manager and Sean Schwalb. After coming to an agreement, they would make payments, and either no work would ever get done, or Schwalb Builders would do the demolition and then stop work.
In the case of Kevin and Noelle Collins, they paid more than $250,000 for a home remodel, only to see the interior of their house ruined and deemed a safety hazard by the City of Denver.
The Collins family spent more than two years out of their home and only recently moved back in, thanks to support from the Better Business Bureau, which brought together a group of contractors to repair the home over several months.
- Scroll through the timeline below for Denver7 Investigates’ extensive coverage of Schwalb Builders, or view the timeline by going here.
- Scroll through the timeline below for Denver7 Investigates’ extensive coverage of Schwalb Builders, or view the timeline by going here
A civil case last month, after his conviction, also found Avi and Sean liable for about $3 million to the Davidson family, whose house in Lakewood was ruined during a project. Ben and Karen Davidson spoke during the hearing, noting the severe health issues they face because of asbestos that was released into the house during the demolition process, which was not mitigated.
The American Civil Liberties Union also has a pending lawsuit against Avi, accusing him of threatening to call immigration authorities on tenants at one of his properties for being late on rent.
There are multiple other lawsuits still pending.
Many have been delayed by Avi's bankruptcy filing in May 2025.
