UPDATE: The sentencing hearing for this case was rescheduled for 3 p.m. on April 13.
DENVER — Avi Schwalb, one half of the father-son contractor duo accused of stealing customers' money over a three-year period, was found guilty Friday on all charges of theft, money laundering and violating the state's organized crime act.
Schwalb, his son Sean, and several employees of Schwalb Builders were indicted by a Colorado grand jury in December 2024.
That indictment was amended in March 2025 to add roughly a dozen more charges. In all Avi Schwalb, 70, faced 47 charges.
▶️ Watch as Denver7 Investigates' Jaclyn Allen presses Schwalb for answers following the verdict.
Forty-four of the charges consisted of theft related to construction jobs where customer paid money for projects that either never started or not completed. He was also charged with one count of money laundering and two counts of violating the state’s organized crime act.
During the nearly three-week trial, prosecutors from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office painted Schwalb as “the man in the shadows,” who knew what was going on and personally benefited from it as money was moved from the Schwalb Builders' account — which took in money from customers — and then went into other accounts where Schwalb either had access or was the sole holder of the account.
The criminal indictment alleged that Schwalb Builders would solicit construction jobs from customers, take in money, and then either abandon the jobs after demolition or never do the work. In several cases, the victims paid more than $100,000, and some were left with uninhabitable homes.
Avi Schwalb's defense attorney, Dru Nielsen, portrayed Avi as a father who wanted success for his son and stepped in to help only after it was too late. She also said he actually lost money trying to bail out the business.
Nielsen stated during her closing statements that prosecutors had not proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt and urged the jury to find Schwalb not guilty.
Avi Schwalb was emotional during her closing statements, weeping at times when Nielsen mentioned his son and their relationship.
Avi Schwalb will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. on April 2. While none of the counts come with mandatory jail time, he could still face decades in prison. Prosecutors asked that Schwalb's bond be revolked and he be taken into custody or that his bond amount be increased. He is currently out on $50,000 bond. Judge Michael Angel denied that request, noting that Schwalb had attended all hearings and surrendered three passports as a condition of his bond. Angel also denied a request for Schwalb to wear an ankle monitor until his sentencing.
Denver7 Investigates has reported on Schwalb Builders and spoken to several victims in a series of reports since January 2024, including highlighting the Collins family, who had paid Schwalb builders more than $250,000 for a home remodel, only to be left with a demolition job and a house that was tagged as unsafe by the City of Denver.
Both Kevin and Noelle Collins testified during the trial and indicated to Denver7 Investigates that this process has felt like a never-ending saga. Both said they never spoke to Avi Schwalb, mainly dealing with project manager Kevin Allbritton, who is also facing charges, Sean Schwalb, and other employees.
Kevin Collins responded to Friday's verdict with mixed feelings saying it felt surreal. But he was also discouraged that Avi was still out on bond.
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Sean Schwalb has had several delays in his case and has gone through multiple attorneys. He is set to be arraigned on March 2 and his trial could come in September.
Even with Friday's verdict, Avi Schwalb still has several court dates in his future.
He's currently named in several ongoing lawsuits, including one going to trial on March 23 filed by Benjamin and Karen Davidson, who testified at trial and had previously spoken to Denver7 Investigates.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also has a pending lawsuit against Avi, accusing him of threatening to call immigration services against tenants at one of his properties when they were late on rent.
He's also going through bankruptcy proceedings after filing in May 2025.
Prior coverage:
- Court delays stall fraud cases against Schwalb Builders, frustrating customers
- Case against Schwalb Builders owner encounters another delay after attorney withdraws from case
- Avi Schwalb files bankruptcy, leaving Schwalb Builders' clients concerned
- Schwalb Builders owner faces more charges after new criminal indictment filed
- Schwalb Builders owner allegedly took in more than $1.1 million from customers without completing work
- 'It's criminal what they've done': Clients react to criminal indictment against Schwalb Builders owner, father
- Schwalb Builders owner and father face criminal charges after grand jury indictment
