AG Keith Ellison to probe pool contractor highlighted in WCCO investigation
MINNEAPOLIS -- A major development in a WCCO investigation: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Friday that his office has launched an investigation into a pool contractor.
It comes two days after WCCO shared the frustration of homeowners who all say they hired Charles Workman to build pools for them. They paid him tens of thousands of dollars upfront, but the work hasn't been done. All together, they're in for more than a million.
We heard their frustrations. And their anguish over paying Workman for a pool they never got.
"More and more it became pretty obvious we weren't getting a pool," Janel Holm, of Shakopee, said.
Seventeen families and counting sacrificed and saved to pay Workman, to build for their family.
"I'm not in a position to go and spend it again, so now I've got to pay off my loan," Adam Salonek, of Buffalo, said.
"You realize he's not just stealing our money, he's stealing our time, he's stealing our lives, he's stealing our opportunity," David Olson, of Chaska, said.
Now the attorney general's office is listening, too.
"We are investigating this guy, we are digging into this," Ellison said. "It's an active case investigation and Mr. Workman is going to have to answer some questions.
The attorney general commends the families who have come forward, saying their story will help build a case, and help others.
"They're like, how could I be taken advantage of this way, I should've known better. No, you shouldn't have known better, these people are professionals at stealing from others," Ellison said.
Unlike an individual civil lawsuit, the attorney general's office has the authority to start an investigation before filing suit
"That means we send him demands for documents, demands to answer questions, we can make him sit for a deposition. We can do a full-blown investigation that has the authority of law," Ellison said.
The pool industry requires a large payment to start the job. But single specialty contractors don't have to be licensed with the state. Ellison sees this as an opportunity to protect consumers.
"I recommend our legislators get involved with these families and say, how can we make sure there's greater reliability," Ellison said.
Workman, who has criminal convictions for theft by deception out of his former home state of Kentucky, has told WCCO he intends to finish the work, or pay people back.
"I'm just not taking your word at this point. I'm not taking your word for it," Ellison said. "People deserve to get their money back. There might be other forms of compensation they're entitled to in addition to that."
The attorney general's office says if you suspect Workman of fraud, they want to hear from you. The number to call is: 651-296-3353. Here's a link to fill out a fraud complaint online.
Ellison also encourages county attorneys to look at criminal charges.