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‘Terrifying': Transnational scammers accused of impersonating engineer on home project
Dan O’Connor remembers getting the voicemail and feeling confused. The structural engineer has more than 30 years of industry experience works on large transportation projects for state agencies and municipalities. According to the message, there were questions about a report he’d supposedly written about a home in Malden, Massachusetts. “I had zero idea what they were talking about,” O’Connor...
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‘He should go to jail': Customers out thousands fume over contractor's bankruptcy
Becky Levesque returned from a business trip in April 2022 and discovered the deck at her Freetown, Massachusetts, home had been demolished. “I was really confused,” Levesque recalled. That’s because Levesque and her partner, Leo McDonough, had hired Larry Westgate of All Phases Renovations to reface the existing structure, not build a new deck from scratch. Other red flags quickly…
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Denied again: Judge nixes pool contractor's request to lower bail
For the second time, the owner of a pool company who’s accused of leaving a path of destruction across Massachusetts lost an argument to have his bail reduced as he awaits trial in Plymouth County. As the NBC10 Investigators reported in July, Steven Docchio was arrested on a warrant following a grand jury investigation that resulted in a 17-count...
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‘Scam artists to the core': Police warn of transnational contracting scheme
Massachusetts homeowners are being warned about a transnational criminal organization accused of operating a sophisticated contracting scam. The scheme involves fake websites, fake reviews, and fake companies. The NBC10 Boston Investigators have found dozens of victims around the Boston area. Most are out a few thousand dollars. Some have lost much more. “Nothing looks like it was done professionally,” said…
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‘I'm pissed!' Customers criticize prison sentence after paver pleads guilty
The owner of a paving business is heading to prison after admitting to stealing money from his customers and disappearing without ever doing the work. William Pusateri, who operated Priority 1 Paving, pleaded guilty to a series of larceny charges in Middlesex Superior Court on Monday and received a two-year prison sentence. Homeowners who lost hard-earned savings were hoping for…
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Power in numbers: Customers use social media to hold contractor accountable
While juggling a full-time job and three triplets running around the house, it’s pretty easy to see why Kelsey Janak looks forward to a few quiet moments swinging on the front porch of her Acushnet home. After building the house and moving in with the young kids in 2020, Janak and her husband saved up to build the front...
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Judge denies pool contractor's request to lower bail: ‘Epitome of a flight risk'
The owner of a pool company who’s accused of leaving a path of destruction across Massachusetts will not have his bail reduced as he awaits trial in Plymouth County. As the NBC10 Investigators reported in July, Steven Docchio was arrested on a warrant following a grand jury investigation that resulted in a 17-count criminal indictment. On Oct. 18, Docchio appeared…
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To Catch a Contractor update: Steven Docchio denied lower bail amount
Steven Docchio, the owner of a pool company who’s accused of leaving a path of destruction across Massachusetts, was unsuccessful in his attempt to get his $50,000 bail reduced so he can get out of jail as he awaits trial in his Plymouth County criminal case.
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Contractor accused of renting out apartment he doesn't own
Finding an affordable apartment in this housing market can certainly be a challenge. It was even more challenging for one viewer who reached out after she said she lost thousands to a man pretending to be a real estate agent. “I didn’t think I was going to cry,” Sofía Mariscal said through tears of frustration, recounting how she and...
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Pool contractor at center of NBC10 investigation arrested on accusations he stole from clients
The owner of a pool business who faces criminal charges after an NBC10 Boston Investigation followed an alleged trail of unfinished projects across Massachusetts has been arrested, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday, several months after a grand jury returned an indictment against him. The NBC10 Boston Investigators uncovered an alleged path of destruction tied to Steve...
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Proposed bill would require contractor background checks, larger consumer payouts
Proposed legislation that would require background checks of contractors who register in Massachusetts and would provide more money for consumers who get ripped off was introduced on Beacon Hill. The bill, filed by Democratic State Sen. Susan Moran, came in response to our award-winning “To Catch a Contractor” investigative series. “This is a direct result of your investigative reporting,” Moran…
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‘The program is a joke': Homeowners describe red tape, disappointing denials with Mass. fund
After hiring a contractor to renovate the kitchen at their Wakefield home, Russell and Beth Carman said the project started to go down the drain. At first, the couple said they noticed signs of shoddy workmanship. And then larger problems surfaced during town inspections. “The electrical was a mess. The structural was a mess,” Beth Carman recalled. “And then [the…
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Homeowners describe red tape, disappointing denials with Mass. fund
The NBC10 Boston “To Catch a Contractor” investigative series is raising questions about the state fund meant to help consumers recoup money if they get ripped off or have to repair damage from shoddy work. Our findings are already prompting changes from state lawmakers and the stage agency in charge of overseeing the fund.
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On the lam: Pool contractor indicted, but where is he?
The owner of a pool business is facing a long list of criminal charges after an NBC10 investigation uncovered an alleged path of destruction across Massachusetts and homeowners who said they lost thousands of dollars. The pattern of unfinished projects sparked a Plymouth County grand jury investigation, which has resulted in a 17-count indictment against Steve Docchio. According to court…
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‘It Makes Zero Sense': Homeowners Criticize State Fund Meant to Recoup Losses After Shoddy Contractor Work
When Dawn Beauregard and Jeff Wagner invited us into their Dennisport property, it wasn’t exactly the kind of tour they wanted to give us. After buying the Cape Cod property last year, the Mansfield couple decided to hire a contractor and gut the 1935 cottage they planned to use for summer and weekend getaways. However, once the work began, the…
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‘What Happened to the Money?' After Customers Paid Large Deposits for Home Projects, Contractor Files for Bankruptcy
You would think the sound of construction activity at Mohamed Asif’s home in Bedford, Massachusetts, would be a welcome sign of progress. For Asif, it was a reminder that he had already paid to have the work completed. “It is my dream home, but what has happened is I’ve ended up paying twice,” Asif said. Asif said he has...
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Paving Contractor Stole Thousands From Customers, Indictment Alleges
The owner of a Massachusetts paving business is facing a long list of criminal charges, accused of taking customers’ money and disappearing without completing the jobs. The alleged pattern of theft could now land William Pusateri of Priority 1 Paving in prison. Pusateri was the focus of our “To Catch a Contractor” investigation last year, which detailed allegations of financially…
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To Catch a Contractor: What Is Attorney General's Office Doing?
It’s been a year since our “To Catch a Contractor” investigation, which documented a trail of destruction across New England. Homeowners who lost thousands of dollars say action is overdue, so we followed up with the Massachusetts Attorney General to ask what’s being done to hold the contractor accountable.
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‘Do Your Job': Consumers Who Lost Thousands of Dollars Want Contractor Held Accountable
Tim Reid sat in a Brockton courtroom and watched as the contractor he’d previously hired entered a not guilty plea to larceny. Last month, we told you how Reid and his wife had hired Steven Docchio to install a pool and patio in their East Bridgewater backyard. The couple saved up for the project as a therapy option for...