BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Boardman home-remodeling contractor accused of stealing thousands from his customers will spend the weekend in jail without bond.
John Bartos appeared in Youngstown Municipal Court this afternoon on a theft charge. This is the eighth time Bartos has been before different judges just in the last two weeks, all involving would-be customers who claimed they gave the defendant money for new windows and doors, but he failed to do the work.
Experts urge customers to do their homework before hiring contractors.
“Find out background information on the company, if they had any complaints, what those complaints were about, and what the outcome of those complaints was. That’s really important,” said Melissa Ames, a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau. “
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) lists seven complaints against Bartos just in the last year because of his various cases in Ohio and neighboring states.
There is a hold on Bartos to keep him from getting out of jail for the time being.
The BBB offers several tips on how to hire reliable and trustworthy contractors. You can read than all at BBB.org.