19 RI Contractors Charged For Unfinished, Subpar Work

PROVIDENCE, RI — Nearly two dozen Rhode Island contractors were charged with felonies or misdemeanors relating to complaints of unfinished or substandard work, Attorney General Peter Neronha's office announced Tuesday. The charges came after the 19 contractors failed to comply with final orders from the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board, according to Neronha.

"The charges here are serious; we’re not talking about cases where folks are dissatisfied with their paint color," Neronha said. "These are hardworking Rhode Islanders who paid a lot of money for contractors to make improvements to their homes and were left high and dry ... The defendants were given multiple opportunities to resolve their situations. Some took advantage of that opportunity. Others didn’t. Those who didn’t will now be held accountable, and this office will pursue restitution to the homeowners and any fines owed."

Rhode Island contractors are required to register with the board, which is part of the Department of Business Regulation. When a complaint is filed, the board checks if the contractor is properly licensed and decides whether the work performed meets the industry standard. If a resolution cannot be reached between the contractor and the person who filed the complaint, the board issues a final order as a last resort. Contractors who do not obey the order can be prosecuted on felony charges if the judgement is more than $5,000. Amounts less than this are classified as misdemeanors.

"The CRLB works hard to ensure that homeowners who have suffered damages as a result of negligent work performed by contractors receive some form of justice," said Liz Tanner, the director of the Department of Business Regulation. "I am confident that these recent prosecutions—a direct result of interagency cooperation between our department and the Attorney General’s Office—will serve as a powerful deterrent to any contractors who believe they will not be held accountable for wronging Rhode Island homeowners."

Of the contractors charged, seven face felony charges, 10 misdemeanors and two others reached agreements with the board. The felonies are as follows. Arruda and Chaisty were arraigned, while warrants were issued for the others. These are the contractors and the accusations against them:

• Paul Arruda, Paul Arruda Corporation
  • Defendant did not pay a sub-contractor, despite being paid himself in full by the homeowner. The homeowner has a lien on his home as a result.

• Kevin Chaisty, KSC Construction
  • Homeowner contracted with KSC to remove and replace siding. Homeowner paid $8000 to the defendant, who failed to start the work on time. He still has not returned the deposit, despite his assurances that he would.

• Anthony Arena, Northwest Construction and Maintenance
  • After entering into a contractual agreement to perform work on the homeowner’s basement, the defendant cashed the checks provided by the homeowner and did not perform any of the work. The amount totaled over $10,000.00.

• Robert Darling, Saintz Construction Co.
  • Homeowner paid nearly $30,000 and the defendant did not complete the project or return any funds. The work performed was not up to industry standards.

• Rodolfo Hernandez, Statewide Construction Company
  • Defendant failed to complete any of the contracted work. The homeowner suffered $40,000 in damages and became homeless as a result.

• Jose Jimenez, J&J Landscaping
  • Homeowner and J&J entered into a contract to replace existing driveway. The work performed would not meet industry standards and the company willfully failed to complete the project.

• Richard Wilson, Custom Quality Home Services
  • Homeowner contracted with defendant’s company to construct an exterior fence. After the homeowner paid $15,000, the defendant failed to perform any work.

Last Monday, eight other contractors were arraigned on misdemeanor charges:

• Nicholas Chamberlain, CAS Drywall
• Ana Paulino Contreras, Paulino Construction
• John Cronin – Cronin Construction
• Joshua Cruz, Eden Improvements
• Joshua Gomes – Building Concepts
• Derek Penta – Capital Home Improvements
• Jose Reis – J Reis Painting
• Luis Rodrigues – Lincoln Construction

On Monday, two others were arrested on bench warrants after failing to appear in court last week: Zachary Brown of ZD Brown Construction and Joseph Grilo of A Touch of Class, prosecutors said.

Richard Bourque, Jr., of Richard Bourque Enterprises, meanwhile is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. Finally, a warrant has been issued for James Porter of J. Porter Concrete & Stone.

"I’m thankful for the work of our investigative team and to DBR for their partnership in this enforcement effort," Neronha said. "Like any business in our state, contractors need to play by the rules. When they don’t, we will take action on behalf of Rhode Island consumers."