IYC Update: Shady Contractor

Watch out for Al Soulek and AAA Renovations!
The NewsChannel 4 (In HD;) family has become quite familiar with Soulek. We've done at least a half a dozen stories on the guy. Last year, he plead guilty to 6 counts of home repair fraud and received a 5 year deferred sentence and 90 days in jail. A judge also ordered him to pay $53,000 in restitution to his "known" victims. Soulek served his time (a bit less than the 90 days). Since he's been out of jail, Soulek has managed to pay about $20,000 to the families he stole from. Our hope was that he learned his lesson, but it seems he's back to his old ways. Just in the past 4 months, we've received 4 or 5 complaints against the contractor...new customers with similar rip off stories. The Attorney General is investigating and can ask a judge to revoke Soulek's probation since he's still serving a deferred sentence.
If you've had recent dealings with Soulek, make sure to file a complaint with the AG...you can access their consumer complaint form at www.oag.ok.gov

Tips from the AG for avoiding home repair fraud...
-Ask people you trust for referrals.
-Whenever possible, deal with local firms with roots in the community.
-Check out the repairman with the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Unit and the Better Business Bureau.
-Ask for customer references.
-Get written estimates from several firms.
-Don’t do business without a written contract.
-Get all guarantees, warranties and promises in writing.
-Agree on start and completion dates and have them written into the contract.