LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Over $200,000 in payments for home remodels were allegedly stolen from Las Vegas homeowners by a contractor whose license was suspended in January.
Gabriel Adame, a home contractor, was arrested Wednesday inside the offices of the Nevada State Contractors Board following a disciplinary hearing regarding repayment to homeowners.
Four months earlier Adame and his legal counsel accepted a series of charges against him regarding multiple homeowners’ complaints, some exceeding $35,000 worth of uncompleted home remodeling work.
Judge Noah Addison presided during the February hearing and heard multiple complaints from homeowners, some who appeared to be still frustrated by alleged damages.
“Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?” Judge Addison asked.
“No,” Emily Moon, a homeowner and alleged victim, said. “I don’t think I want those words on record.”
Terry Wike, Director of Investigations for the Nevada State Contractors Board, spoke exclusively with 8 News Now ahead of a press conference revealing new details from the investigation.
“The investigation took more than a year,” he said. “[We] have recently filed five charges against Gabriel Adame for his acts in taking money from homeowners and not completing work.”
More than five victims have come forward with complaints according to Wike who said their investigation has found Adame Handyman Services, which did business as Adame Construction, is facing charges relating to over $200,000 worth of damages.
“There’s a variety of levels of uncompleted work,” Wike said. “He would take a down payment, and he would not complete the work.”
Wike said homeowners should know about the dangers they face and the protections they have under the law regarding contracts.
“You can’t take a down payment in excess of $1,000 or 10% of the value of the contract, whichever is less,” he said. “We were often seeing down payments of 50% of the price of the project.”
Homeowners were also advised not to take the first bid for their home projects and at least get three bids before making a final decision.
“Make sure all your contracts are in writing, and they include scheduled payments,” Wike said. “That’s so the payments don’t get ahead of the work.”
Homeowners seeking to file a complaint are able to receive up to $40,000 from the Nevada State Contractor Board’s Relief Fund.
8 News Now went to the former offices of Adame Construction in North Las Vegas where the current business owner said they were aware of the complaints from the previous tenant of the office complex.
Vicki Ruebel, owner of Orchid Owl Quilts, told 8 News Now her shop has received letters of complaint regarding Adame for several months.
The quilt shop opened in the former location of Adame Construction in July 2023 and Ruebel said she wants people to know they can come in for quilt fabric, but she has nothing to do with Adame or his businesses.
Wike and the Nevada State Contractors Board plan to hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. Thursday to further show what their investigation has found.
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