ST CHARLES, Mo. — A brazen Missouri con man is behind bars after pleading guilty to defrauding people across the state.
Last week Michael Suljack, 57, pled guilty in six counties after an investigation by the Missouri attorney general's office revealed he was posing as a contractor and defrauding customers. Suljack was charged in Franklin, Gasconade, Camden, Pike, St. Louis and St. Charles Counties.
One St Charles family said Suljack's deception even put their lives at risk.
Almost two years have gone by and homeowner David Vaughn is still looking for a silver lining in a bad situation.
"It was quite literally God's grace he stole the money from us because if he would've been allowed to continue with the work he was doing, we would've probably died," said Vaughn, pointing to an incomplete gas line fixture that he said Suljack installed on the side of his house.
Vaughn hired Suljack with ABS Solutions to install a generator in 2017.
"He was here for maybe two days of work. We gave him $5,000."
Vaughn needed the generator because a health condition often requires him to work from home. Suljack required money up front to buy the generator. Something Vaughn said never happened.
"He never bought it. He provided me with a doctored purchase order that was a screenshot still in a photo editor that he sent me with a bunch of the info cropped off," Vaughn said.
And after that, Vaughn said Suljack became unpredictable and unprofessional.
"The wheels just fell off. He became super erratic. He said his ex-wife had murdered his son in Colorado and that the FBI and everyone out there was corrupt."
Behind the scenes, Suljack had moved on to other victims.
"He was taking people's money, promising to do work with installing generators in their homes and then never intended, and never did anything, just would move onto the next place," said Eric Schmitt, Missouri Attorney General.
Schmitt said, unfortunately, cases like Vaughn's are common because con men like Suljack know how to cover their tracks. Every year, the attorney general's office receives at least five thousand complaints regarding contractors around the state.
"People will create shell entities and make it difficult to pursue under the law because there are no assets there. It's not an isolated incident, it happens a lot," said Schmitt.
In this case, Suljack fled to Florida after the AG began investigating him.
He was extradited back to Missouri and he recently pled guilty to several fraud charges.
"This person is going to spend six years in jail and also pay restitution of $44,000 plus to the people he defrauded," said Schmitt.
Vaughn may be one of those people getting his money back. But he's not holding his breath.
"He's a slippery fella," said Vaughn.
"If you're taken advantage of, if someone has taken your money, if someone had defrauded you, as attorney general, we're going to go after those folks, we're going to get your money back and prosecute when it's appropriate," said Schmitt.
- Solicit at least two written estimates on repairs before choosing a contractor to assess storm damage.
- Be sure to take the time to thoroughly review a repair contract. Check with the Attorney General’s Office and/or the Better Business Bureau for complaints and information regarding the company and or individuals representing the company.
- Inquire as to the age of the company and length of time at their current address.
- Make sure your insurance company is working with you to provide the proper estimate and coverage under your policy.
- Ask for insurance and licensing information from the company representative. Make sure the company has the proper work permits before work begins.
- Never pay cash up front before the job is completed. Paying by check or credit card is best.
- Don’t pay full price for services you have yet to receive. Make full payment only when the terms of your agreement have been met.
- Always get a phone number and address for the company, and then check it out.
- Consult the company’s local references to evaluate past performance.
- If you notice out-of-state plates, logos on vehicles, etc., make note of the information.