MORE INFORMATION, WE'LL BRING IT RIGHT TO YOU LIVE WITH THE
MOBILE NEWSROOM IN NEW HAVEN
MATT MCFARLAND CHANNEL THREE
EYEWITNESS NEWS. THANK YOU. NOW
AT 5 30. I TEAM INVESTIGATION A
MANCHESTER COUPLE RUNNING A HOME
IMPROVEMENT BUSINESS ACCUSED OF
STEALING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
FROM THEIR CLIENTS. THE STATES
NOW INVESTIGATING IN CHARGES
HAVE BEEN FILED CONSUMER
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER CASSIDY
WILLIAMS EXPLAINS WHAT YOU
SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR. IF YOU'RE
PLANNING TO REMODEL EVERYTHING
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED IN
HERE. DEBORAH KELLY HAD BIG
PLANS FOR HER MANCHESTER HOME
WHEN THE DOORS WERE ON. YOU
CAN'T OPEN THE WASHER OR DRYER
GOT WAS A HALF FINISHED TOO
SMALL LAUNDRY ROOM. THE MAN SHE
HIRED TO DO THE WORK EVEN LEFT
HIS OWN LIST BEHIND, SHOWING ALL
THE THINGS THAT STILL NEED TO BE
DONE. WE DID A REALLY SLOPPY
JOB. KELLY SAYS SHE HIRED THIS
MAN JASON THE POINT IN DECEMBER
2021. SHE SAYS THE POINT TOLD
HER THEY DIDN'T NEED TO CONTRACT
THIS WORK ESTIMATE WOULD BE
ENOUGH. SHE ALSO SHOWED HIS TEXT
FROM THE POINT WHERE HE ASKED
FOR MONEY TO ORDER SUPPLIES
TRUSTED HIM. WE EVEN WENT TO HIS
HOUSE, TOO. TO DELIVER THE CHECK
TO HIM WAS WORKING UNDER THE
COMPANY. NAME CARPENTRY BY J.
KELLY SAYS THE POINT STARTED
WORKING ON HER HOME IN THE
SPRING OF 2022. KELLY DIDN'T
KNOW IS JASON LAPOINTE HIMSELF
IS NOT REGISTERED WITH THE STATE
TO DO CONTRACTOR WORK AT ALL. HE
ONCE HAD HIS OWN CONTRACTORS
REGISTRATION, BUT ONLY FOR A
YEAR BACK IN 2002. LONG BEFORE
THE WORK AT KELLY'S HOME BEGAN
IN TOTAL, KELLY SAYS SHE PAID
THE POINT MORE THAN $50,000
WORKED MY ENTIRE LIFE. I'VE BEEN
A SINGLE MOM SINCE 2000. UM.
THAT WAS MY MONEY THAT I HAD FOR
MY RETIREMENT. AND NOW IT'S
GONE. KELLY ISN'T THE ONLY ONE
WHO SAYS SHE HAS LOST THOUSANDS
. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS
AGAINST MR LAPOINTE, THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. THE
DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER
PROTECTION, AND LOCAL POLICE ARE
WORKING TOGETHER TO INVESTIGATE
CARPENTRY BY J. MANCHESTER
POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED THEY ARE
ACTIVELY INVESTIGATING KELLY'S
CASE, THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER
PROTECTION SPOKESPERSON TELLS
THE I TEAM THAT IN TOTAL, THERE
ARE SIX COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST
CARPENTRY BY J. ONE OF THOSE
COMPLAINTS HAS ALREADY LED TO
CRIMINAL CHARGES IN COVENTRY. IN
CARPENTRY. BOTH JASON THE POINT
AND HIS WIFE, KATHLEEN, ARE
CHARGED WITH FELONY SECOND
DEGREE LARCENY. CARPENTRY BY J
WAS REGISTERED UNDER KATHLEEN'S
NAME. COURT RECORDS REQUESTED BY
THE TEAM REVEALED THAT IN THE
CARPENTRY CASE, HOMEOWNER PAID
CARPENTRY BY J. MORE THAN
$18,000 TO REPLACE ALL OVER
WINDOWS IN MARCH, 2022
INVESTIGATORS SAY THE $18,000
CHECK WAS CASHED. BUT THE
WINDOWS WERE NEVER ORDERED.
PEOPLE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT,
UM, THEIR HOME IMPROVEMENT
CONTRACTORS. ATTORNEY GENERAL
WILLIAM TONG SAYS PEOPLE SHOULD
DO A FEW THINGS BEFORE HIRING A
CONTRACTOR. ONE GETS SEVERAL
BIDS FOR ANY JOB TO USE THE
DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER
PROTECTION WEBSITE TO MAKE SURE
A CONTRACTOR IS REGISTERED AND
INSURED. DCP SPOKESPERSON TELLS
US THE PERSON ACTUALLY DOING THE
WORKNEEDS TO BE A REGISTERED
CONTRACTOR AND JASON THE POINTS
CASE. HIS WIFE'S REGISTRATION
DOESN'T COUNT. LASTLY TALK
SUGGESTS USING THE JUDICIAL
BRANCHES WEBSITE TO SEE IF A
CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN SUED IN THE
PAST. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU SEARCH
CARPENTRY BY J FIND A SEPARATE
CIVIL LAWSUIT IN THE COMMENTARY
CASE, AS WELL AS THREE OTHER
LAWSUITS IN ALL FOUR CASES, THE
JUDGE ORDERED CARPENTRY BY J TO
PAY THE PLAINTIFFS. COURT
RECORDS IN THE CRIMINAL CASE,
KATHLEEN LAPOINTE TOLD
INVESTIGATORS THE COUPLE GOT
INTO THIS SITUATION BECAUSE OF
COVID AND THE RISING COSTS OF
LUMBER AND HIRING ISSUES. BOTH
KATHLEEN AND JASON THE POINT DID
NOT RETURN OUR CALLS OR EMAILS
WHEN WE TRIED THEIR HOME. NO ONE
ANSWERED THE DOOR. KELLY CAN'T
GET AHOLD OF THEM EITHER. HE'S
JUST, UM IGNORED ME, GHOSTED ME
SHE ISN'T EXPECTING TO GET HER
MONEY BACK, BUT SHE IS HOPING HE
HAS HELD ACCOUNTABLE, HOPING
BECAUSE OF ME AND ALL THE OTHER
CASES THAT HE GETS SOME SERIOUS
JAIL TIME. BOTH KATHLEEN AND
JASON. THE POINT ARE SCHEDULED
TO BE BACK IN COURT ON THE
COVENTRY CHARGES NEXT MONTH AND
JUST THE LAST FEW WEEKS. JASON
WAS ALSO CHARGED WITH AN
ADDITIONAL COUNT OF LARCENY FOR
A CASE OUT OF BURNETT. WE HAVE
MORE INFORMATION ON WHERE YOU
CAN LOOK UP CONTRACTOR
REGISTRATIONS AND OTHER
RESOURCES. AS FOR HOMEOWNERS ON
THE CHANNEL THREE