Omaha Jury Convicts Barndominium Builder of Three Counts of Wire Fraud

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Bryce A. Nolde, 37, of Waverly, Nebraska, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud by a federal jury in Omaha, Nebraska, on February 4, 2026.

Nolde operated BV Builders, which billed itself as a construction company specializing in barndominiums and shouses. The term barndominium or shouse (shed-house) typically refers to a large, open-concept building constructed with metal or wood framing and clad in metal siding and roofing. These structures are used for residential purposes and can incorporate a workshop, garage, or room for animals.

Evidence at trial showed that between July 2022 through early 2024, BV Builders advertised that it could build customers the house of their dreams. The company would get a large downpayment or draw a large amount from a customer's construction loan and then represent that the money was going to pay subcontractors and suppliers for their work on the customer's build. Instead, the money went to fund Nolde's personal interests or other purposes. The customers were left with no dream houses, and often with construction liens on their property, because the subcontractors and suppliers did not get paid for the work they provided. Dozens of victims testified at trial to the devastating financial crimes.

The jury deliberated for slightly more than two hours before returning a guilty verdict for each of the three counts for which Nolde was charged.

United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher, who presides over the case, set Nolde's sentencing on May 13, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. Each of the wire fraud counts carry a possible penalty of up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Nolde could also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Inspector General Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Nebraska State Patrol.