A St. Petersburg contractor was arrested October 28, 2026, after Clearwater police accused him of misappropriating more than $736,000 intended for construction of a new church.
William Jean Botelho, 40, who owns and operates Custom Building Solutions, faces a grand theft charge of $100,000 or more, according to an arrest affidavit.
Police said The Unity Church of Clearwater entered into a construction contract with Botelho’s company in August 2023 for a new church at 2419 Nursery Road. Between September 6 and December 4, 2023, the church paid Botelho $832,175, representing 20% of the contract value, to acquire supplies and pay subcontractors.
According to the affidavit, investigators found minimal progress on the project between August 2023 and March 2026, aside from a fence installed around the construction site.
Financial records obtained through subpoenas showed that only $95,630.27 of the church’s payments went toward project supplies and subcontractors, police said. Investigators allege the remaining $736,544.73 was misappropriated.
The affidavit lists expenditures that investigators said did not benefit the church project, including approximately $122,733 in card purchases and $176,575 in Apple Card payments involving restaurants, vacations, entertainment, clothing and other personal expenses.
Police also identified payments of $100,000 for a Mercedes G-Wagon, $65,000 to Ford Motor Co., approximately $58,557 to Botelho’s condominium association and $24,401 to law firms. Other transactions included approximately $37,661 transferred to a separate account Botelho owned, $15,251 toward a Chase mortgage and $114,700 in withdrawals and checks written to himself, according to the affidavit.
Investigators reported that the account balance was $56,078.02 as of March 2026.
Botelho was served July 9, 2026, with a demand letter seeking repayment of the $736,544.73 that investigators said had not benefited the church. The affidavit states that he did not respond.
The booking photo is not currently available.
