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Contractor wanted for various fraud complaints surrendered to deputies after media attention

2 years 9 months 3 weeks ago Wednesday, December 22 2021 Dec 22, 2021 December 22, 2021 10:30 AM December 22, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Sheriff's deputies will book a man into jail Wednesday for various contractor fraud charges.

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputies said the contractor, identified as Tayler Braud, 32, surrendered Wednesday morning.  Braud was featured in television reports Wednesday after deputies said he was wanted for fraud but was evading capture.  After WBRZ first reported Braud was wanted, numerous victims shared their run-ins with the contractor.

In the most recent situation, deputies said Braud took $5,500 from someone to do work on a home but the work was either not completed or completed incorrectly.  The homeowner had to pay a second contractor more than $4,000 to finish the work.  The financial loss to the victim is just under $10,000, sheriff's deputies said. Braud was hired in March and by September had not finished the job.  The homeowner filed a complaint with the sheriff's office who announced an arrest warrant Tuesday (Dec. 21).

Erica Pippen, another customer who says she was defrauded by Braud, paid nearly $13,000 for work that wasn't done after her home flooded in May.

"He was very hands off, like 'no, I have no idea what you're kind of talking about.'" Pippen said. "I'm like, 'no, that's not good enough. I'm gonna either need my money or I'm going to need receipts.'"

Deputies said Braud has been arrested previously by the sheriff's office for "similar contractor fraud-related incidents."  There are other investigations, too, for additional contractor fraud-related complaints.

Pippen says she has connected with nearly two dozen other customers who have filed complaints against Braud. 

"[He] left people in bad situations and [took] their money," Pippen said. "He should be ashamed. He should be so ashamed, he should turn himself in."

Braud faces a list of contractor-related fraud charges including misapplication of payments; residential contractor fraud; and engaging in business of contracting without authority.

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