LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Alex Ferguson, an unlicensed contractor who is the subject of numerous customer complaints statewide, was arrested Friday on a warrant issued by a judge in Lake County.
State Attorney Brad King charged Ferguson with grand theft, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
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A recent News 6 investigation revealed that several homeowners had filed complaints with Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation claiming Ferguson took their money but did little or no work.
In a follow-up report earlier this week, another former customer accused Ferguson of posing as a licensed contractor and accepting nearly $15,000 to build a detached garage with a hurricane shelter.
Last week, Lake County Sheriff's Office Detective Andrew Rhodes filed an affidavit stating there was probable cause to charge Ferguson with grand theft related to a complaint made by customer Martin Fuchs.
In November 2017, Fuchs entered into a contract with Ferguson for roof repairs and gave Ferguson a $2,300 check as a deposit, according to the affidavit.
Fuchs told News 6 that Ferguson never returned to his home to do the roof work and stopped responding to phone calls.
Ferguson is not licensed or certified to work as a roofing contractor, state records show.
"I'm so surprised," Fuchs said after learning about the arrest. "I've been chasing this for so long and I was giving up hope that justice would be served."
Authorities took Ferguson into custody on a warrant Friday morning as he arrived at the Osceola County Courthouse for a hearing in an unrelated case involving accusations that Ferguson had knowingly been driving on a suspended license.
He was later booked into the Osceola County Jail on a $2,000 bond, records show.
Last year, Ferguson denied defrauding Fuchs and other customers.
"I don't have a side to the story," Ferguson told News 6 in October.
"This is exciting news," said Fuchs, who is still trying to find someone to repair his roof. "I don't know if I'll ever get restitution. But at least the law caught up to him."