Fake architect accused of construction scams steals $240K, Coral Springs cops say

An unlicensed architect with a long paper trail of breach of contract and alleged deceit has been arrested on multiple grand theft charges in Coral Springs.

Eric Mills, 47, of Coral Springs, is accused of stealing $240,348 from a homeowner who hired his firm, VDG Architecture, or Virtual Design Group, to facilitate a roughly $1.2 million construction project, investigators wrote in a probable cause affidavit.

However, Mills isn’t a licensed architect. At least three times he’s been taken to court for breach of contract, with homeowners describing his business as a “fictitious entity.”

The cases involve construction and renovation of a home on Las Olas Boulevard, a Coral Springs home remodel and architectural services for a cabana house in Fort Lauderdale.

Mills and his business didn’t finish the jobs, and the work they did perform was not done properly, some clients say.

For instance, the Las Olas homeowners paid VDG Architecture $110,449 in 2020, plus incurred expenses of $158,435, records show. After 17 months of slow-going construction, the homeowner learned VDG had no license, and the contractors never obtained demolition permits from the City of Fort Lauderdale, according to a complaint filed in Broward County.

The homeowners’ attorneys wrote the permitting issue may result in the city tearing down the whole property. As of January 2026, the lot is vacant. The homeowners won judgment, and Mills plus the other defendants owe $415,030.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has also fined Mills $5,372 for posing as an architect without a license.

Now, authorities are taking the matter a step further and pursuing criminal charges.

In the recent investigation, Coral Springs police say Mills moved at least $240,000 of construction loan money directly into his own bank account, then moved it back and forth between several other accounts through small transfers to hide where the money came from.

“Eric Mills benefitted personally through transfers to his personal account, cash withdraws, payment of personal bills, entertainment and living expenses in the amount of $240,348,” police wrote in the affidavit.

Mills turned himself in at Broward jail March 30 on charges of grand theft over $100,000 and money laundering. Then on April 7, he was charged in a separate case with grand theft, organized fraud and two counts of being an unlicensed contractor.

Mills’ attorney was not immediately available for comment April 7.