‘Constant delays, constant lies, constant excuses’: Morgan Co. home repair fraud victim speaks out | News
A Huntsville man is behind bars after allegedly claiming to be a licensed contractor and stealing from customers. One of his victims is now speaking out.
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Brian Capra said he first interacted with Johnny Ray Jordan in March after finding him on Craigslist.
First impressions, Capra said, weren’t bad.
“Very well spoken, nicely dressed,” Capra said. “His vehicle had J&J Construction graphics on it, so it seemed like a legitimate business.”
Capra said he wanted to be sure, so he began questioning Jordan.
“I didn’t know his full name,” Capra said. “He was pretty clever. I thought his name was J, so I wasn’t able to Google him. He used a different person’s name with that contractor, and that is a legitimate business. So when I Googled that business, everything seemed to check out.”
Jordan also provided him with pictures, claiming to show his work.
Capra admitted he was a little thrown off when Jordan gave him two different contractor license numbers. When he asked him about a website, Jordan said it was “being worked on and may be up next week.”
“He had actually followed up with me, which is rare for contractors around here, unfortunately, and I couldn’t find anybody,” Capra said. “I decided to take the risk.”
Ultimately, a contract was signed, a deposit was paid and work got underway.
“When work started it was constant delays, constant lies, constant excuses,” Capra said.
He provided pictures to WAAY 31, showing what Jordan left behind.
“It’s been very much a problem,” Capra said. “It’s been extremely stressful. I can’t find anyone else that can finish the work or do quality work. Now it’s July, and we still don’t have the work done. I have had to take several days off of work to handle a lot of the issues as well as do some of the work myself.”
Capra believes if Jordan gets out on bond, he’ll target somebody else. Jordan, 61, is currently behind bars in Morgan County after being arrested by Decatur Police in June.
He was charged with two counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument and two counts of home repair fraud.
Police say Jordan pretended to be a licensed contractor. He allegedly took money from his victims but never completed the work.
“He does his best to stay one step ahead. He’s falling behind now,” Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson said of Jordan.
Anderson said he’s doing what he can to prevent Jordan from getting out.
“Some of the charges that he faces in Morgan County will come under what’s called the sentencing guidelines,” Anderson said. “That limits my ability to lengthen his time in prison. That limits the court’s ability to give him a stiffer sentence.”
Anderson said it can be challenged by filing a petition to deviate from those guidelines.
On Monday, Jordan was arrested again by the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office after allegedly scamming more than $43,000 from a woman. His bond is now set at $90,000.
STORY: Huntsville man facing another home repair fraud charge, this time from Morgan County DA
“This gentleman has a record a mile long, and it’s time to put a stop to it,” Anderson said.
He said he’ll pursue a very substantial sentence for Jordan.
Capra said he was able to get most of his money back and is thankful for that. He said he feels bad knowing other victims lost a lot money.
If you’re a Morgan County resident who thinks you’ve been a victim of Jordan, call the DA’s office at 256-351-4610. If you’re outside of Morgan County, call your local law enforcement agency.
