Police say Kevin Crafton used internet-based phone numbers to impersonate engineers, city officials, architects and an attorney; investigators are looking for other potential victims
BRIGANTINE — An Egg Harbor Township contractor accused of orchestrating an elaborate scheme to take more than $361,000 from two Brigantine homeowners will remain jailed as authorities say their investigation is expanding and additional charges are expected.
Kevin O. Crafton, 49, was ordered detained Wednesday following a hearing in Superior Court in Atlantic County, according to BreakingAC. Prosecutors indicated the investigation now extends beyond the allegations involving the two Brigantine sisters and that additional charges and alleged victims are expected.
The detention decision adds a significant new chapter to a case that began publicly last week when Brigantine police detailed allegations involving far more than an ordinary dispute over unfinished construction work.
Investigators allege Crafton created internet-based telephone numbers and used them to impersonate professionals and government officials while convincing the homeowners to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for expenses that authorities say didn't exist.
Crafton is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Police Say Fake Phone Numbers Were Used to Impersonate Officials
The investigation began in July, when two people contacted Brigantine police and reported they had been victims of theft by deception involving a contractor hired to perform work on their home during 2024 and 2025.
Detective P. Rao investigated and authorities say evidence showed Crafton obtained more than $361,000 from the victims while working as a foreman for LDC Design & Construction LLC.
Police allege Crafton created or reinforced false impressions that the homeowners owed money for such things as permitting costs, geotechnical testing, legal expenses and fines that either did not exist or never occurred.
But investigators say the alleged deception went further.
According to Brigantine police, Crafton created multiple Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, telephone numbers and used them to impersonate engineers, municipal officials, architects and an attorney.
In other words, authorities allege that when the victims believed they were communicating with independent professionals or officials who could validate what they were being told, they were actually communicating through phone numbers Crafton had created as part of the scheme.
That allegation helps distinguish the case from more common contractor complaints involving missed deadlines, workmanship or disputed bills.
Arrest Came Nearly Two Weeks After Charges
Crafton was formally charged Sept. 8 with theft by deception, four counts of criminal impersonation, computer criminal activity, forgery and falsifying records, according to Brigantine police.
He was arrested Sept. 21 and lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
Wednesday's detention hearing means Crafton will remain jailed while the criminal case proceeds.
Authorities have not publicly detailed all of the evidence underlying the new potential cases or identified additional alleged victims.
Company Was Registered as a New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor
South Jersey NewsBeat found additional information about the company connected to the allegations.
LDC Design & Construction's own website describes it as a family-owned and operated construction and design business located in Egg Harbor Township. The site publicly lists a telephone number for Kevin as well as another for Lauren and displays New Jersey home-improvement contractor registration number 13VH12811600.
The Better Business Bureau lists LDC Design & Construction as an Egg Harbor Township construction company that began business in August 2023. The BBB identifies Lauren Crafton as the owner and says the company is not BBB accredited.
Not being BBB accredited does not itself indicate wrongdoing; accreditation is voluntary.
Separately, contractor-information service BuildZoom lists LDC Design & Construction under the same New Jersey home-improvement registration number and says that registration was active when it checked in September 2026.
That's an important distinction in this case: the allegations do not appear to involve someone simply posing as a construction company with no public business presence. LDC maintained a website, advertised construction services and publicly displayed a state home-improvement registration number.
LDC Appeared Before a Cape May County Zoning Board
Public records also show that LDC's activity extended beyond Atlantic County.
A December 2024 Lower Township Zoning Board notice lists LDC Design & Construction as the applicant for a hardship variance involving construction of a new garage at 166 Fishing Creek Road. The application was conditionally approved.
That doesn't suggest anything improper about that project. But it provides additional documentation that the company was conducting construction-related business in Cape May County as well as Atlantic County before the current criminal allegations surfaced.
Separate 2026 Lawsuit Involves LDC
South Jersey NewsBeat also found a separate civil matter filed earlier this year involving the company.
Court-indexing service Trellis lists an April 27, 2026, breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by DLP Funding LLC against LDC Design & Construction LLC and Lauren D. Lythgoe in New York Supreme Court in Kings County. The database says the case involves a commercial contract dispute.
The existence of that civil lawsuit does not establish wrongdoing and it is separate from the criminal allegations against Crafton in Brigantine.
Police Are Looking for Other Customers
Perhaps the most important question now is how much larger the investigation becomes.
Even before Wednesday's detention hearing, Brigantine police and the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office had taken the unusual step of publicly seeking other people who may have dealt with Crafton or LDC Design & Construction.
Authorities specifically asked anyone who had home-improvement work performed by Crafton or LDC Design & Construction LLC and believes they may have been victimized to contact investigators.
The disclosure at Wednesday's hearing that prosecutors expect additional charges and alleged victims suggests investigators have received or developed additional information since the original case became public.
Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed how many additional complaints they are investigating or the potential dollar amount involved.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Brigantine Police Detective Rao at 609-264-7909 or prao@brigantinenj.gov.
South Jersey NewsBeat will update the case as additional charges or alleged victims are identified.
About the Author
Karen Johnson
With over 30 years of news experience in major markets like Los Angeles, Denver, and Columbus, Karen now covers our area for South Jersey NewsBeat. She also brings her articulate and conversational news delivery to WOND radio listeners every weekday. Her background includes work with the NBC Radio Network, and she thrives in fast-paced news environments.
