To Catch a Contractor

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...

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...

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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...

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…

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.

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...

Massachusetts lawmakers are pushing legislation intended to help protect consumers after the NBC10 Boston Investigators uncovered a pool contractor’s path of destruction in our “To Catch a Contractor series. Many homeowners paid big bucks for pools and ended up with shoddy work or never got them installed at all. House Bill 424 aims to give consumers peace of mind when…

Dave Mack said he was a little caught off guard when Bill Pusateri showed up out of the blue in April at his home in Framingham, Massachusetts. The owner of Priority 1 Paving had installed Mack’s driveway several years earlier. Over time, some cracks and other signs of weathering had taken shape in the asphalt and Mack figured the paver…

The award-winning “To Catch a Contractor” series reinforced why it’s so important to do your homework before having someone work on your home. But what about a contractor you’ve already hired for a project in the past? As customers of a local paving business will attest, it’s wise to take a fresh look before handing over your...

There are ways to protect yourself if you decide to take the plunge and put in a pool.

The New England Regional Emmy Award-winning NBC10 Boston investigators series “To Catch a Contractor” uncovered a contractor’s path of destruction across Massachusetts.  Many homeowners paid big bucks for pools and other home improvement projects, but the work was never done. It all started with a tip from a Sharon man who hired the contractor to put in a backyard...

The owner of Priority 1 Paving, Bill Pusateri, was arraigned in Dedham District Court Wednesday for two new felony charges of larceny over $1,200 by false pretenses. Pusateri pleaded not guilty on both charges. He was taken away in handcuffs with the bail for each case set at $1,000 — totaling $2,000. One of the alleged victims, Brian Bergeron, looked…

Steven Kaldeck grew up in the modest ranch on Richard Road in Natick with his parents, Lawrence and Linda. “This was their first and only home,” Kaldeck told us. “I think it meant everything to them.” Back in 2015, the family hired William Pusateri of Priority 1 Paving to upgrade the driveway. Kaldeck, who has autism, remembers that job seemed…

After saving money for years, Maria Riefstahl decided she was ready to move forward with a project to pave her driveway in Watertown. Riefstahl got several quotes and decided to hire William Pusateri of Priority 1 Paving. After handing over the $2,000 deposit, the single mother said she never saw her money or the paver again. “He vanished,” Riefstahl recalled….