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Charges dropped for contractor accused of fraud

6 years 7 months 4 weeks ago Friday, July 28 2017 Jul 28, 2017 July 28, 2017 6:55 PM July 28, 2017 in News
Source: WBRZ
By: Earl Phelps

BATON ROUGE – Last year's flood has given some contractors a bad name, however one contractor says police threw him in jail without talking to him or even going to the home where he was doing the work. 

Wilson Reado was arrested in May for felony contractor fraud.

"It's very humiliating when your grand kids are around, you daughter is around and they see a police come arrest you at your home," he said. 

Reado says police didn't even talked with him, or go the house that he was doing work on. 

"I did over 80 percent of the work," Reado said. 

The homeowner told Baton Rouge Police that Reado didn't finish the work, after being paid $70,000.

Reado's attorney Ken Riche said police arrested Reado based only off of her statements

The charges have now been dropped. The DA says there was no basis for the criminal charges.

"We think a thorough investigation should have been done by the city police before arresting him," Riche said.

It was an especially troubling ordeal for Reado, who served on the state board that investigates fraud by contractors.

"After serving under two governors for the state of Louisiana, under the State License Board for Contractors, I didn't really believe this was happening to me," Reado said. 

Despite the charges being dropped against Reado, the homeowner Brenda Dahmer says she had to pay out more than $40,000, not to only finish the work she claims Reado did not complete, but to also correct mistakes in the work he did do. She plans on going after that money in court.

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