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A contractor accused of scamming customers has been caught in Texas.

CBS4’s Angela Brauer first reported about William Bradley Kahn in September 2021. The contractor pledged to do work for residents and accepted money but didn’t deliver on the jobs.

In one case, he told a woman he would install a retaining wall and patio for $13,000. She gave him a $6,500 down payment. A crew never showed up to do the work. He’d signed his name as “William Bradley” on the contract.

His last name, the woman later discovered, was actually “Kahn.”

An Elkhart County woman contracted him to install a new side entry and paid $20,000 for the work. He left halfway through the project, requiring her to get someone else to finish it.

A check of records against Kahn showed he was the subject of at least six criminal investigations. Four small claims court cases were pending.

Despite the allegations, he and an accomplice are accused of opening multiple businesses in Indiana, California and Texas.

Prosecutors told CBS4 they couldn’t stop Kahn from opening more businesses because that’s in the purview of the licensing board. However, records showed Kahn didn’t have a contractor license.

It was a long road to take him into custody. Here’s a look at the case:

  • September 2021: Multiple customers report hiring Kahn, who accepts thousands in deposits for work before leaving. He stops responding to the customers, who later discover he kept changing his business’ name to hide his dodgy history.
  • February 2022: Angela Brauer receives an email from a California man who said he hired Kahn to work on his pool. The man, Erick Nguyen, gave him $17,000 for the job. Kahn barely did any work before skipping town and turning off his phone. Nguyen came across the CBS4 story and reached out to Angela.
  • March 2022: Records show Kahn and an alleged accomplice opened at least five businesses in Indiana, one in California and two in Texas. Prosecutors in Indiana said he “is unable to be located” and indicated there was nothing they could do despite mounting warrants for failing to appear in court.
  • April 2022: Angela receives a tip that Kahn is in Texas, where he tried to purchase a car.
  • May 15, 2022: Tip indicates US Marshals are working with Fort Wayne police to find Kahn.
  • May 16, 2022: Angela forwards paperwork she received from Texas indicating Kahn’s last known address.
  • May 17, 2022: Kahn taken into custody.