Ripped-off customer reacts to Cole Co. contractor’s indictment
A Russellville resident said he was relieved after a Mid-Missouri contractor was indicted by a grand jury.
Ken Jinson was charged with eight felonies for reportedly ripping off several customers.
ABC 17 News has been following the story for nearly a year.
Friday, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said Jinson stole more than $22,000 from four of his customers.
One of those customers, Douglas Bledsoe, told ABC 17 News he lost nearly $18,000.
“To me, it’s like a relief because like I said, I don’t think I’ll ever see my money back,” Bledsoe said. “But at least he’s going to be held responsible. And hopefully he won’t be able to steal from other people.”
Bledsoe paid Jinson last March to build a couple of sheds in his back yard and to remodel his basement for family members that moved in with him.
ABC 17 News talked to Bledsoe in May. At that time, the only work completed was a wooden frame of a shed along with some posts that were left sticking out of the ground.
“It took a big chunk out of me ’cause like we’re all four kind of crammed up in here now,” Bledsoe said. “And we’re still trying to get things together to have a space for them to stay.”
Since then, Bledsoe finished the shed project himself with the help of some neighbors. That cost him another $1,2000.
“We had to redo the whole floor because he had used cheap plywood and it sat in the weather,” Bledsoe said.”Plus all the boards on the sides, the two by fours, because they weren’t connected correctly. And then the whole door frame and all the metal.”
Bledsoe said the whole experience will make it harder for him to trust another contractor again.
“When it comes to your home or anything, you really have to do some searching and making sure of their credentials and actually checking on their background and with other customers to see if they’ve completed their jobs,” Bledsoe said.
Bledsoe said he found Jinson through a Cole County/Jefferson City swap page on Facebook.
Since the indictment, Jinson has bonded out of the Cole County Jail. He is set to appear in court March 15.
