I-Team: Attorney General Re-Evaluates Contractor Lawsuit

This homeowner wasn't the first unsatisfied customer for the apparent contractor Jason Kupiec. The state attorney general's office has a pending civil lawsuit against him. Kupiec is accused of not finishing more than 24 thousand dollars worth of work for several homes in Lackawanna County.

Landscaping work for a Scranton woman's yard still isn't done, 7 years after Kupiec was paid to finish it.

We're not identifying the woman but she tells the I-team, "Well I cried. for that much money I cried."

The woman says Kupiec took $1,600 up front for work he never did. She's part of an ongoing state attorney general civil lawsuit filed in 2005. Eight other households felt the same way, paying Kupiec a total of 24 thousand dollars for mostly roof repairs.

The AG's office says he didn't finish most jobs and only did shotty work at others. The AG's office says Kupiec targeted three homes in Old Forge. Two sit right across from each other on Edith Street.

The total amount of work that he apparently didn't finish at the Edith Street homes is upwards of seven thousand dollars. Both homeowners were elderly. Neighbor Bob Semenza remembers the story well.

Semenza said, “If a guy's going out there, you know, working hard for his dollar every day and then you get some guy to come over here to scam people out of their money, it's just not right."

While the business names changed, Kupiec's game stayed the same. His company was called "Rural Construction" when he worked in Lackawanna County.

He used "All American Construction" in Wilkes-Barre when Christina Flynn responded to his classified ad.

Flynn said, "I'm very glad you got involved. it's unreal that he's doing it again"

After we found Kupiec had no contractors license in Wilkes-Barre or the state we also learned he was locked up.

"I couldn't believe it was that quick that you got back to me and said he was in the Lackawanna County jail," said Flynn.

Kupiec has a long criminal wrap sheet. He was arrested last week for violating parole on prowling charges. The attorney general's office says it's re-evaluating the 2005 civil lawsuit with this new information we uncovered.

Under a law created in 2008 called the home improvement consumer protection act, no-show contractor work can now lead to criminal charges.