SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A local contractor is accused of leaving thousands of dollars of work unfinished, but the district attorney has also charged him with stealing people’s identities.
Channel 11 sat down with David and Shelley Chmiel of South Fayette Township who said it has been a year and a half since James Nunamaker began working on the back patio at their home. However, according to police, Nunamaker never finished the job — despite the $135,000 the Chmiels paid him over the course of a year.
“We kept getting assurances and promises, the Amish friends of him will be working on beams and the ceilings. Never saw any of those materials. Paid for them, but never saw them,” said David Chmiel.
Another contractor estimated that Nunamaker only had completed $50,000 of work before the family fired him.
“Quite frankly, when this happened, I felt really stupid...We didn’t do any background check, we didn’t do any due diligence…he was a friend of a friend," said David Chmiel.
According to police, Nunamaker also used the couple’s credit card information at a variety of places, including restaurants annd bars.
Channel 11’s Gabriella DeLuca contacted to ask for his side of the story.
“I have every single receipt and, most of the time we have a hard day, I provide all my people with lunch and a couple beers,” he said.
Nunamaker said he plans to fight the charges and said he does not believe he did anything wrong.
The Chmiels admitted to not doing research on the contractor.
Nunamaker is facing several other charges for similar issues in the past.
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