Customers of Cole County builder: We’re still out money

Nearly three weeks after ABC 17 News aired a special report where customers of a Cole County builder claimed they were ripped off, those same customers said Tuesday they were still out money for unfinished work.

Ken Jinson was arrested just hours after ABC 17’s Jillian Fertig confronted him last month about taking money from customers up front for work that was either unfinished or very poorly constructed, according to the customers.

Months after Douglas Bledsoe paid to have a woodworking shop built in his yard and have his house remodeled so his family could help take care of him, crews are working on making that dream come true.

But those workers aren’t the original contractors Bledsoe paid to do the job.

Since the first story aired, Bledsoe said Jinson offered him a refund.

“He said he was going to pay me, but he’s waiting on some big check he got supposedly to clear,” Bledsoe told ABC 17 News.

Fertig confronted Jinson at his house three weeks ago and Jinson said he and his crews were still working on Bledsoe’s project.

But on Tuesday, an unfinished shed remained in Bledsoe’s backyard.

“I talked to him and texted him,” Bledsoe said. “Well, I texted him, he won’t really talk to you.”

Fertig ran into the same problem Tuesday. Phone calls and text messages to Ken Jinson were not returned.

But Jinson did send a text message to Bledsoe that said, “That news lady slandered my name and can be sued for that. I have nothing to prove to her. If she runs another spot about me, I will.”

Sarah Bullard, the other victim in last month’s story, said she hasn’t heard a word from Jinson and he never came back to fix what she calls her poorly built custom chicken coup.

ABC 17 News checked in with the Missouri Attorney General’s office to check the status of the complaints against Jinson, but as of Tuesday night had not heard back yet.