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Attorney General Going After Scamming Roofers

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - They've operated under a half dozen company names, but the result has been the same.

Customers have complained about being ripped off by roofers who they say perform little or no work, but take the money and run.

KD Investigator Andy Sheehan exposed them and now the attorney general is taking action.

A few months ago, KDKA-TV showed you the evidence.

Repairmen allegedly fixed the roof on Knickerbocker Supply for $20,000.

However, the vents they put on their roof turned out not be vents at all. They were just dummies.

Sheehan spoke with Gary Griesinger, who said he contracted the same company - Able Roofing - to seal his driveway.

Father and son, Mario and Mitch Mitchell, took a down payment and never returned.

These victims are not alone. There are a half dozen unpaid judgments against Able Roofing, which the Mitchells have ignored.

Their last known business address is a house in Turtle Creek where sheriff's deputies have repeatedly tried to serve notices to no avail.

"Forget about it. They're like ghosts, you don't see them. You try to call them. You deal with the son and they play off of one another," Griesinger said.

Sheehan's investigation showed that before operating under the name Able Roofing, the Mitchells have practiced under names called Dun-Rite Roofing, Able-1 Contracting and more recently, TNT Contacting.

After amassing complaints and judgments, they have simply changed their business name and kept on practicing.

Now, in response to KDKA-TV's report, the state attorney general is taking action. Over the past few months, the Mitchells have ignored state subpoenas.

Now, the state has filed an action of default aiming to put the Mitchells out of business for good.

For now, the Mitchells remain elusive and it remains to be seen whether the state will be successful.

For now, they are urging the public to check to see whether a contractor is registered to do business and seek out references.

RELATED LINKS

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More Reports From Andy Sheehan
Pennsylvania Attorney General

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