STAMFORD, Conn. — Multiple churches in Connecticut and Massachusetts say they paid a contractor thousands of dollars for work that he never completed.

The Advocate reports that the churches allege Marcus McClellan, owner of Trumbull Restoration in Plainville, stole their deposits.

St. John's Episcopal Church in Stamford filed a police complaint saying it paid McClellan a $7,400 deposit for work on the church's 126-year-old roof, but he never completed the work.

Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Chicopee, Massachusetts, says it paid McClellan $10,000 for repairs ahead of the church's 100th anniversary in May.

The Rev. Ephraim Peters says it was "heartbreaking" when he never finished the repairs.

Stamford police say they are investigating the complaint filed by St. John's.

McClellan denied the allegations and said he will "credit" the churches.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://www.stamfordadvocate.com