AG: Contractor sentenced to 7 years in prison for defrauding clients

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri attorney general said Tuesday that a Mid-Missouri contractor who was accused of ripping off his clients has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Blake Mahoney was convicted of financial exploitation of the elderly and deceptive business practices in Boone and Audrain counties. He was sentenced last week in Boone County to probation. The sentence in his Audrain County case has not been updated in online court records.

Mahoney will also have to pay more than $83,000 in restitution in addition to his seven-year sentence, according to a news release from Attorney General Andrew Bailey.

Mahoney was arrested and charged in Boone County in January 2022 with four felony counts of financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled person, according to public court records. Mahoney was also charged with seven felony counts of deceptive business practice.

Mahoney operated Mo State Construction LLC, according to the Better Business Bureau. A spokeswoman said at the time that several Columbia-area customers reported issues with the business, including failing to start or finish projects. The Better Business Bureau issued a consumer warning about doing business with Mahoney in February 2021.