JOPLIN, Mo. —
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed a lawsuit Thursday in Jasper County Circuit Court against a contractor who allegedly failed to provide goods and services that had been paid for by victims of the May 22 tornado.
The lawsuit alleges that Eddie Brian Sides of Reeds Spring, owner of ABP Quality Construction Inc. of Branson West, was paid tens of thousands of dollars by tornado victims for construction materials such as tiles, cabinets and appliances, and that he did not complete work that he had been paid to do.
According to the Missouri secretary of state’s website, ABP Quality Construction was established on July 15, 2011, and is registered to Jim Krause of Branson West. Krause said he was the accountant for the company and did not know anything about the lawsuit. He declined to comment further. Sides could not be reached for comment.
The lawsuit says Sides conducts business under the name Brian Sides Contracting, and that after the storm, he came to Joplin advertising home repair and construction. The suit alleges that Sides does not have a valid license to do business in Joplin and does not have insurance required by law.
The attorney general is seeking a restraining order to stop Sides from operating a construction business, and is seeking restitution for customers. Koster is asking the court to impose civil penalties of $1,000 per violation, and to require the defendant to pay for all court, investigation and prosecution costs, according to a press release.
The alleged victims listed in the lawsuit are three Joplin women whose homes were damaged in the tornado.
Annette Merritt, 1717 S. Ohio Ave., according to the lawsuit, prepaid the contractor $48,883 for supplies that were never delivered. The suit says the work was not done by October as agreed, forcing her to purchase supplies elsewhere. Merritt could not be reached for comment.
The lawsuit says the company in June contracted with Betty Van Ostran, 2118 S. New Jersey Ave., who has since employed a different company to finish the work. The amount Van Ostran reportedly gave the company was not listed in the lawsuit, and Van Ostran could not be reached for comment because of a disconnected phone number.
In June, the company contracted with Andrea Grissom, now deceased, for repair work on her home for $66,000 upfront for materials and labor, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit says Grissom was promised that when the work was finished, she would get a $6,000 refund. The work has not been completed, the lawsuit says. According to Globe obituaries, Grissom died Dec. 27 after a long illness. The Globe was unable to reach any family members for comment.
Crime & Courts
Lawsuit accuses contractor of cheating tornado victims
- Crime & Courts
-
-
Murder warrant issued in fatal domestic shooting
Police believe Doyle Handle shot himself after fatally shooting Dena Davenport during a domestic disturbance Thursday night at their residence in Grove. Officers responded to a 6:55 p.m. report of a shooting at the couple’s home on Wood Street on the southwest side of Grove and found Handle, 52, in the front yard with a gunshot wound to his jaw.
-
Murder warrant issued in fatal domestic shooting
Police believe Doyle Handle shot himself after fatally shooting Dena Davenport during a domestic disturbance Thursday night at their residence in Grove.
-
No charges to be filed in Joplin shooting case
The nonfatal shooting of a 25-year-old man at a Joplin residence on May 13 has been deemed justified by authorities. Jacob B. Boykin, 21, of Joplin, shot Justin S. Johnson, 25, of Carterville, once in the chest with a small-caliber handgun at 5260 E. Sunny Acres Lane.
-
Alcohol cited as factor in Grand Lake boat crash that killed two college students
Alcohol was one of several factors contributing to a boating accident on Grand Lake earlier this month that claimed the lives of two college students.
-
Hired hand won’t face death penalty in Vernon County murder case
The state has agreed not to seek the death penalty against Jeremy L. Maples in the murder of Belinda J. Beisly, but prosecutors have yet to take the option off the table for the victim’s husband, Bob T. Beisly II.
-
Former IRS worker gets probation after guilty plea to theft of funds
Pittsburg resident and former Internal Revenue Service employee Becky L. Book received two years probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to the theft of $26,449.65 in public funds.
-
Arma mother facing murder charge in sleeping baby’s death
Heather Buckalew fell asleep on a couch with her 4-month-old baby after a night last summer drinking beer with her boyfriend. The boyfriend, Donald Harvey, got up to go to work a few hours later and spotted his son, lying face down on a pillow between the back of the couch and his sleeping mother.
-
Vandals cause $37,000 in damage at Joplin business
A Joplin business owner was the victim of a weekend vandalism spree that resulted in an estimated $37,000 in damages and theft, in addition to putting the company out of service for at least two days.
-
Two plead guilty to post-tornado wire theft
Two defendants pleaded guilty Monday to stealing copper wire from utility poles in the wake of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin. Timothy M. Silveria, 45, of Joplin, and Nycoa K. Kracht, 32, of Laurel, Ind., entered open pleas of guilty in Jasper County Circuit Court to felony counts of theft from a public utility.
-
Firefighters douse blaze inside wall; no injuries cited
The Joplin Fire Department used thermal-imaging equipment Wednesday night to detect a hidden fire inside a residence.
- More Crime & Courts Headlines
-
Murder warrant issued in fatal domestic shooting
Raw: Train Derails After Overpass Collapse
Raw: Rescues From San Antonio Flooding
Raw: French Soldier Stabbed in Throat Near Paris
Mayor: Person Killed in San Antonio Flooding
Raw: Apple 1 Computer Sells for More Than $650k
Hagel Urges Cadets to End Scourge of Sex Assault
Raw: Gay Rights Activists March in Ukraine
Bus Fire Kills 16 Children, Teacher in Pakistan
Raw: Pakistan Election Results Protested
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
