Warrant issued for contractor after women claim he scammed them
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One week to the day after two women came forward saying their contractor scammed them out of thousands, an arrest warrant has been issued for that contractor.
Audrea Gilliom now faces two felony charges — one for theft of property and the other for impersonating a licensed professional.
But even with these charges, the women who came forward say they still have a long road to recover from their time working with Gilliom
Dr. Shayna Wilson, who was driving back to Memphis from Louisiana, says she is still trying to salvage the work she says her former contractor did not finish.
“I just had to go and pick up the doors, repay and pick up the doors I actually paid Mr. Gilliom $32,000 for,” she said.
Women say contractor scammed them out of thousands
Dr. Wilson was one of two women who came forward, demanding their money back from Audrea Gilliom with AVE Concrete Contractors.
Wilson is still out of nearly $50,000.
“I’m going to be honest, I have not really slept well at night since April or May,” Wilson said. “This will probably be the first night I get some sleep because I feel like no one cared.”
The state board of contractors confirmed Gilliom had several complaints, wasn’t licensed, and was using license numbers that weren’t his.
We tried again to reach out to Gilliom, but no answer.
However, we did receive a text the day after our story aired where Gilliom stated the allegations against him were false and wanted to connect WREG to an attorney. That has not yet happened.
Racheal Walker, who has been a construction estimator for the past 10 years, said you always want to get multiple quotes on a job.
She advises people to consider contractor bonding insurance, a surety bond requiring contractors to perform work legally and professionally.
“Sometimes when we hire certain individuals we really lean into them for their expertise and that blind trust. I understand that is the comfort of hiring a professional, but always check behind them,” Walker said.
Dr. Wilson says going forward, she encourages anyone who has had dealings with Gilliom to call the police saying any new information can help build their case.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
