East TN race car driver charged with fraud over unfinished roofing jobs

TAZEWELL, Tenn. (WATE) — A contractor in Claiborne County is facing several felony fraud charges in Tazewell. The sheriff’s department records state that roofing contractor Joe Bray failed to return money for work he never started.

Over half a dozen people have filed civil cases against Bray in the last two years. Court documents in Claiborne County show he lost several civil cases and often didn’t appear in court. WATE learned that Bray, a local race car driver in Tazewell, signed roofing contracts in three different counties: Claiborne, Hamblen, and Union. The stories are similar, he requires 50 percent up front, then forgets to show up.

Warren Austin hired Bray to put a new roof on his home in Claiborne County. He signed a contract on June 23, 2023, and paid Bray $4,000, half of the total charge. The new roof was supposed to be on the home by the end of July, but Bray kept on stalling.

“I started getting a little antsy. I started communicating every week. He would say, next week, next week. Then finally I gave him an ultimatum, ‘I’m going to need my money back if you don’t start next week as you promised.’ During that time I kept asking him ‘When are you going to start?’ I got nothing but a bunch of excuses the whole time. At some point, I had to assume he was not going to do it,” said Austin.

He added that he hired someone else to do the work and they completed the job in a week.

In Union County at Taylor’s Grove Missionary Baptist Church, members shared that they paid Bray $13,000 to buy building materials a little more than a year ago. He never showed up to do the work. For months, they pleaded with him to put a new roof on their building. He never did. Church leaders tell us, they asked for their money back and they never got it.

Court records obtained by WATE from the Claiborne County Court Clerk show Bray has been charged with four felony counts of home improvement fraud for failing to refund money. Half a dozen other people have filed civil cases against Bray over the last 18 months. Austin is one of them.

“He didn’t show up,” said Austin, who went on to say that Bray has at least $35,000 in liens. “I’ll bet you there is more than that that he has scammed. I have talked with people who haven’t filed liens yet.”

WATE called Bray wanting to speak with him and left a message. We have not heard back.

“This is what was posted on his Facebook. On, I think, September 5th, showing he was the winner of a race that Sunday.,” said Austin. “Yes, it was during the time I was hounding him to get my money back.”

After Bray stopped communicating, church leaders in Sharps Chapel hired a second contractor to put a new roof on their building.

“Considering the fact that he has done this to multiple people, he has got to know that it is wrong. I would like to see him locked up, and I would also like to recover my money,” said Austin.

The felony charges against Bray say that he violated the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act by engaging in unfair or deceptive business practices and by taking money for a job but not doing it. If he is found guilty, the court may order him to pay restitution to those who brought the charges. He’s scheduled to appear in Claiborne County court in mid-May.

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