Attorney General Issues Cease and Desist Orders Against Three Contractors

| 10/26/2012

North Dakota`s Attorney General issued Cease and Desist Orders against three contractors today. The unlicensed contractors are charged with violations of consumer fraud laws.

The businesses: Alex Sweeney and Lou Cueto, doing business as Aqua Dry Restoration, Denis J. Lee, doing business as Ashley Home Exteriors, and Todd A. Copenhaver, doing business as KRC Steel Works LLC and KRC Steel Erectors, are all banned from conducting business in the state.

"We will continue to aggressively pursue unlicensed contractors with legal action, including fines and bans on illegal activity," said Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. "It is unfortunate when out-of-state contractors take advance payments from our consumers and then skip the state without completing the work. My office will do its best to pursue these fraudsters."

According to the Attorney General`s Office an investigation into the three companies found the following:

Denis Lee, dba Ashley Home Exteriors, of Minot & Ashley, North Dakota, took advance payments from three consumers totaling almost $7,000 to replace windows and siding, and a roof, failed to complete the work as promised, and did not have a contractor`s license with the Secretary of State.

Alex Sweeney and Lou Cueto, dba Aqua Dry Restoration, solicited contracts to repair flood damaged homes and misrepresented their mold removal services. They took an advance payment from one Minot resident but failed to perform the demolition and mold removal services. The resident was later forced to remove the subflooring to the home. Investigators with the consumer protection division determined that although Aqua Dry Restoration listed a Minot address in its solicitations, it was not, in fact, a North Dakota business. Sweeney and Cueto did not have a contractor`s license with the secretary of state and did not have a transient merchant license. The telephone number for the business has been disconnected and it appears they have left the state.

Todd Copenhaver, dba KRC Steel Works, LLC and KRC Steel Erectors, of Brighton, Colorado, took an advance payment of $19,400 from a North Dakota resident to erect a steel building, failed to complete the work as promised, did not have a contractor`s license with the Secretary of State and did not have a transient merchant license. The investigation revealed that Copenhaver left the state shortly after collecting the money.

None of the contractors had a contractor`s license.

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