Missouri attorney general files fraud charges against Nixa contractor
On Wednesday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed charges against Richard B. Gillette, who stands accused of defrauding customers through his business, Premiere Exterior Solutions.
Gillette, 51, faces one count of financial exploitation of an elderly person, two counts of stealing, and three counts of deceptive business practices for defrauding consumers and financially exploiting customers in Greene County.
Premiere Exterior Solutions was based in Nixa, and it received multiple complaints from customers between August 2021 and May 2022.
Customers said that Gillette asked to be paid upfront to perform home renovations that were either of poor quality or never started at all.
Although Gillette responded to complaints about his business on the Better Business Bureau website, many of the issues remain unresolved. Several customers indicated that they would be bringing this issue to the Attorney General’s attention.
“As Attorney General, I will enforce the laws as written, which includes holding those who take advantage of innocent Missourians accountable,” Bailey said. “I’m proud of the critical work my office does to right these wrongs throughout the state, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to obtain justice for any Missourian who has been ripped off.”
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Gillette is no stranger to these types of complaints, as he faced several lawsuits involving a previous company he operated called Midwest Modern Exteriors. Additionally, he served two years in federal prison for bank fraud in 2006, prior to his involvement with Premiere Exterior Solutions.
Bailey encourages any other consumers who think they’ve been scammed by a contractor to file a complaint with his office by calling the Consumer Protection hotline at (800) 392-8222 or by submitting a complaint online at ago.mo.gov.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri attorney general files fraud charges against Nixa contractor
