The Paint Crew

I hired him to paint our baby's nursery, install crown molding and fix some roof damage. I found him through Craigslist where he advertises every day. He seemed friendly and promised quick turn around time. Bill Britton aka Bill the Painter turned out to be a scam artist with fake references and a felony theft record from Arkansas. His modus operandi is this: He will ask for substantial deposit before starting work (like claiming paint/material needed is on discount and he'll buy it for you to save you money) and then cash your check/take your money only to delay frequently and then eventually disappear on you. I found out through a background check that he has numerous judgments and liens from other customers and sub-contractors who he has scammed over the last couple years. I also found other victims of his, including a couple subcontractors he scammed. Some of the victims had liens placed on their homes despite paying Bill Britton because he didn't pay his subcontractors and they placed liens on the homeowners to get paid (legally allowed in Texas). He also has an F rating by Better Business Bureau, has a pending fraud case against him from Houston DA's Consumer Fraud department among many other things. Wish I had done some online research before trusting Bill Britton with over a $1000 he took from me under the pretext of getting materials. When I confronted him about his lies, contradictions and frequent excuses, he swore at me, issued veiled threats and disappeared.