‘He’s stealing people’s hard-earned money’: Group forms to combat contractor accused of taking around $500K

SHELLEY — A community has formed in eastern Idaho — one made up of members with little to nothing in common. In fact, the only commonality binding this group of around 25 is a general contractor named Brandon Cook and his allegedly taking from them thousands of dollars for work never completed.

In December, after contacting EastIdahoNews.com, Aspen Beck went looking for others who had lost money to the Shelley-based contractor. She quickly found four neighbors who had fallen victim. Beck eventually linked up with Jennifer Bennett, who herself had a group of about five fellow victims.

The group has since welcomed additional victims — with more reaching out regularly — and intends to rally for change.

“At this point, I don’t think any of us are expecting to get our money back — we know that’s long gone,” Beck said. “We just want to have Brandon held accountable for his actions. What he’s doing is illegal.”

“It’s angering. It’s frustrating. It just makes me mad,” Bennett added. … “I want to stop him from being able to do this to anyone else, at this point.”

Many who have lost money in what they believe to be a designed scam have contacted the Shelley Police Department.

A department spokesman confirmed to EastIdahoNews.com they have received numerous reports. However, the department would not say if it plans to launch a criminal investigation into those claims.

Aspen Beck’s account

Beck was mere months from birthing her third child when she hired Cook to finish the basement and redo a bathroom in her home last summer.

She said she needed the work done quickly, with the child due to arrive, and chose Cook over others who offered bids because he said he could start almost immediately.

Like every other victim who spoke with EastIdahoNews.com, Beck found Cook through a Facebook ad. She gave him a $3,500 down payment to cover the cost of materials.

During their first in-person meeting, Beck said Cook warned her about trusting contractors.

“He specifically said, ‘You’ve got to watch out for the contractors that just come and take your money then never show back up to do the job,'” she said.

After providing the down payment, Beck said she and Cook worked out start and expected completion dates, which were included in a contract both signed.

When that planned start date passed, she called and texted Cook with no response. While remaining civil and professional, she said, she continued to contact Cook, asking him to either do the agreed upon work or refund her payment so she could hire another contractor.

Eventually, he did finally respond. His response: a threat to sue Beck for harassment if she continued hounding him.

“I never heard back from him. He’s ghosted us ever since,” Beck said.

As Beck explained, the stress of losing money she could ill-afford to lose, not having the work done that she needed in order to provide for her family and the threat of a lawsuit left her overwhelmed.

“I was under a lot of stress,” she said. “And, you know, we don’t just have thousands (of dollars) to give away — to donate to Brandon.”

Jennifer Bennett’s account

Like Beck, Bennett hired Cook because he offered the shortest wait — while providing a bid that was similar to others she received.

Bennett was remodeling her home and, with the help of her father, did much of the work herself. But the electrical and plumbing work was beyond their scope of abilities, so she gave Cook a down payment of $10,000 to handle those jobs.

Unlike Beck’s situation, Cook started the work. Bennett said he showed up on the agreed upon date, but suggested she may have been better off had he not.

Cook, she said, did the demo work before taking on the plumbing. When that phase began, she noticed the work was shoddy at best. Materials used were incorrect, and what was being done was not what had been discussed.

Shortly after the demo work was completed, Bennett said, communication with Cook began “sliding.” He stopped answering phone calls and returning texts. Cook’s employees, whom she described as “kids,” began working half-days.

“One day, he came and dropped off a bunch of drywall. Then I never heard from him or saw him again,” Bennett said.

With so much of her home torn out, Bennett said Cook left her in an “untenable” situation and an “unlivable” home. She had to stay with friends and family until she was able to find a second contractor to come in and finish the work.

But that is when things got worse.

Bennett said the second contractor informed her that Cook had cut out a weight-bearing beam, which needed to be replaced, and much of the plumbing work was not functional and had to be redone.

She called Cook a “snake oil salesman” who used a quick start date to hook her and convince her to pay him or work he was unable to complete — and, she believes, was never planning on doing.

Lorie Cannon’s account

Like Bennett, Cook did a portion of the work Lorie Cannon hired him to do. As with Bennett, quality of the work he did was the problem.

Cannon hired Cook to build a retaining wall and a deck at her family’s cabin in Soda Springs in 2021. With an ad Cook posted on Facebook, she received a 15% discount and paid Cook $30,000 to start the work — for materials — with another $15,000 due at completion.

“We were going to have him do more things,” Cannon said, “but we could tell it wasn’t going well.”

Because it was a cabin and not the family’s primary home, Cook had already begun the work by the time the Cannons saw what he was doing.

Cannon said they immediately noticed Cook was using particle board for the structure of the retaining wall — which “blew out” in some spots when the concrete was poured. Upon further examination, the Cannons noticed the footings for the columns of the deck were misaligned — and with no column of any kind in the center of the deck, it had already begun to sag.

When Cannon pointed out the poor quality of the work, she said Cook replied “it would look great in the mountains.” She insists that his explained intentions were never the Cannons’ intentions.

Cannon said the “most frustrating part” is the fact she believed she had hired the perfect person for the job. Cook provided her photos, she said, of similar jobs he claimed to have done in the past, and that work was perfect.

“He misrepresented that,” Cook said. “We did a reverse search (later) and they were just pictures he took from the internet. I don’t think he was qualified to do that work.”

The Cannons found themselves in a difficult situation. They believed their money had been spent on materials — albeit, poor-quality materials — which were used for the similarly poor-quality work. So, they never asked for a refund — “We figured, at that point, we wouldn’t get it.” Instead, they asked him to redo the work properly.

Cannon said they were told the work would be completed. But Cook refused to meet in-person. And when he did respond to phone calls or text messages, Cannon said he was threatening.

“He was really hostile and I was, honestly, kind of afraid of him,” she said. “I was going to put a bad review out there, but he was mean and threatening … I didn’t know if he would come out (to our cabin) and cause damage of some sort.”

When they threatened to fire him, she said Cook threatened to put a lien on their home.

Things got even worse when Cannon received an invoice from the company Cook used for materials.

That was when she learned the $30,000 in materials costs never went to materials at all. Instead, Cook used her name and address to invoice the cost of the materials to her, and she was stuck paying an additional $4,000 on top of what they had already lost.

Then, Cannon added, her family was forced to clean up the mess Cook left in his wake — including a concrete mound.

“It’s a sinking feeling. It’s just, ‘what have we done and how are we going to (fix it).’ Then, trying to reach out to him and get his help is — you just lose hope. You have this sinking feeling in your gut,” she said. “It’s depressing to go to our cabin and see that mess.”

Other victims’ accounts

Cody Hawker, like Cannon, thought he had done all the proper due diligence before he hired Cook last March. He called both residential and corporate references — provided by Cook.

“I think I called the one person who would give him a good review, unfortunately,” Hawker said. “If I’d have called anyone else, they would have told me to run.”

Hawker hired Cook to add on a family room at his home. He paid Cook $32,000 for materials.

The only work Cook did before “ghosting” him, Hawker said, was tearing a hole in the side of the house which left them searching for cheap repair options.

“This is just a nightmare,” he said. “It’s ripping my wife apart.”

Hawker said he and his wife saved to pay for the work they considered necessary since 2014 — working nights and second jobs. The money, he added, could have helped put his kids through college or paid off “a ton of debt” instead of going to Cook.

Debbie Haller paid 50% of the cost for a patio and cement pad — $12,275.44 — up front in June 2021.

She said Cook took the money and laid an uneven pad — which quickly began cracking and had to be replaced — before disappearing and not returning any calls or texts.

Between collecting payment then vanishing, Haller described Cook as rude and “not a very nice guy.” When he stopped showing up, he left a mound of cement that had to be cleared by the Hallers.

“All I wanted was a patio and a deck,” Haller said. “It has caused a lot of stress, because we’re not rich people. That money came from my parents passing away.”

Ximena Schneider paid Cook $12,357 for a porch and window replacements.

She said other contractors were interested in the job, but Cook convinced her he would do the best job, so she took out a home improvement loan against the house.

After collecting payment, Cook did not show up to do the work. Schneider searched Facebook and found that he was posting about needing work to fill his schedule. When she asked for a refund, Schneider said, Cook ignored her.

“He blocked me. He never again emailed or texted me back,” she said. “… At this point, I don’t want to lose my money but I just think he should be punished, somehow, for taking advantage of so many people.”

Schneider, a teacher with limited means caring for her mother and injured husband, said the issues have caused “more stress than you could imagine.”

Maria Maciel, who lives directly across the street from Beck, hired Cook to redo a bathroom and two bedrooms — her children’s rooms — in March 2023. She paid him $6,000 down.

When he never showed up to do the work, she began to text and call. Eventually, Cook told Maciel she was being “impatient” and had become “a headache.” He told her he would refund her down payment — but never did.

She told Cook she would post a poor review of his business unless he issued a full refund. He said, if she did, he would sue her for slander.

“It’s not just the financial burden, it’s the stress of your kids not being able to have their own room,” she said. “He screwed us over. I don’t want him to screw anyone else over.”

Barrett told EastIdahoNews.com about a Pocatello-based non-profit organization she has been in contact with which paid Cook upwards of $200,000 for work he never completed. A spokeswoman for the organization told EastIdahoNews.com they will not address ties to Cook.

Cook’s past civil matters

EastIdahoNews.com made several attempts to contact Cook but did not receive a response. He did, however, speak with Local News 8 recently, saying a leg injury in a 2020 snowmobile accident caused him to fall behind on his workload.

While several victims who spoke with EastIdahoNews.com have either contacted the police or filed civil suits — and in some cases both — others have chosen not to do so.

“I don’t want to be next in line on a civil suit, because they go nowhere,” Hawker said.

According to Beck, Hawker is correct. She won a civil suit against Cook, but has yet to receive any payment.

An iCourt search of Cook — and his companies RE-Lived Construction, LLC. and B&B Customs Painting, LLC. — shows he has been ordered to more than $189,000 in civil court judgments since 2020.

Maciel received a judgement of $7,893.70 but said she has not received a single payment toward that claim.

Beck was told that she could have Cook’s property seized toward her judgement, but in order to do so she would need brand and model names for any item she would like seized, along with serial or VIN numbers.

And if she was to have a vehicle — like a snowmobile, of which she said Cook has several — seized, she would be liable for the cost of towing that item and impounding it for 30 days during which time Cook would be able to appeal the seizure.

With numbers determined in court, along with those presented by the many members of a growing group of Cook’s victims, Hawker believes a conservative estimate would put Cook’s gains above $300,000. Bennett said, even that number may be low.

“We’re probably at the half-million dollar mark by now, which is nuts,” she said.

EastIdahoNews.com has confirmed that the business license registered to B&B Customs Painting expired in October 2023. RE-Lived Construction was “dissolved” in 2019, records show.

Why these claims are difficult to prosecute criminally

Bingham County Prosecutor Ryan Jolley could not confirm whether his office has received any notice about intent to prosecute Cook. However, he did explain why cases like these are difficult for law enforcement and prosecutors to pursue.

“Written documentation and a written contract are vital,” he said in an email to EastIdahoNews.com. “Oftentimes, as crazy as it sounds, people will give large amounts of money to contractors without receipts or contracts with specific deadlines for completion. Word of mouth and a handshake isn’t enough in court.”

What makes a grand theft charge in cases like this difficult, he said, is the need to prove intent.

“…To prove grand theft, it requires evidence of an actual intent to commit theft or defraud,” he said. “… We would need evidence to show the contractor never intended on doing any work when they took the money. … Being a bad business owner isn’t a crime.”

Tips from Cook’s victims

All victims who spoke with EastIdahoNews.com said they learned new tactics to be employed when hiring a contractor.

Beck suggests that anyone considering a local contractor should skip the reference calls and try to visit previous customers in-person. See the work, she said, and discuss the contractor’s work ethic, communication skills and trustworthiness.

Cannon cautions anyone from looking for contractors on Facebook. When possible, she added, hire someone who has done work for people you know personally.

“I wouldn’t hire a random ad off Facebook anymore — it’s worth paying a little more for someone you can trust,” she said.

Hawker’s advice is to be “slow to hire.” He recommends doing as much investigation as possible. He has been in contact with six different contractors about finishing the work Cook started and has done background checks on each.

All the victims who discussed Cook with EastIdahoNews.com say they have learned to confirm the contractor is licensed, bonded and insured.

A view from the other side

Tracey Henry has been the Operations Manager for Henry’s Treasure Valley Fence since she left her previous career, as a respiratory therapist, to help run the company in 2018. She is also the Rocky Mountain Chapter president for the American Fence Association.

Immediately upon taking on her position, Henry said she encountered “consumers” with horror stories similar to those she’s heard shared regarding Cook. And she is “dumbfounded” by the lack of investigation by the state’s contractors board despite “so many consumers being defrauded.”

Asked if she believes these types of issues are impacting the industry as a whole, Henry wasted no time before saying it has.

“It affects all contractors,” she said. “There are so many legitimate contractors that want to serve with integrity, that want to do things the right way, but so many consumers in Idaho have already been taken advantage of.”

That is what led Henry to what she calls her “passion” — helping consumers avoid these traps.

She literally wrote the book on hiring responsible contractors. That book, “Due Diligence: How to Choose a Contractor in Idaho,” lists the dos and don’ts consumers should be aware of. It also lays out some of the resources available to Idahoans.

Official complaints regarding licensed businesses, she said, should be filed with Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — found here.

Currently, she added, there are limited avenues through which the justice system can crack down on people doing what Cook is accused of. The state contractors board — a wing of the DOPL — is capable of punishing licensed contractors for irresponsible practices. However, the maximum penalty they are able to administer — a $1,000 fine — will do little to stop someone essentially stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“It’s not going to hinder them at all,” she said. “This should be capturing the attention of our legislature — and our sheriff’s (offices and police) departments, our prosecuting attorneys.”

The onus of fixing the problem falls on the Idaho Office of the Attorney General, which, she said, does little to protect the consumer in these situations.

As for hiring a contractor, Henry’s No. 1 piece of advice is to avoid referral websites — like Angie’s List.

“They do not do any vetting at all. They say they do, but they do not — anybody can put in any information,” she said.

Instead, Idahoans should consult known references. And before paying out a single dollar, they should first confirm the contractor is licensed, bonded and insured and check for any past or pending civil matters.

The DOPL also has advice for Idahoans looking to hire a contractor — which can be found here.

The community of victims

The goal of the community of Cook victims, Bennett said, is to raise awareness when it comes to unethical business practices and “rally (their) efforts” for change — to force the Idaho AG’s hand in combatting these issues.

Bennett, who has volunteered to champion the group, said the “next step” is to grow a large enough voice to force consumer protections.

“I want to take it far as we have to — straight up to the state legislature,” she said.