Contractor facing slew of charges

Durham, N.C. — The allegations against a Triangle contractor, accused of taking money but not doing the work, continues to grow. Richard Stacy is facing numerous charges stemming from his remodeling business, known as Customized Contracting, RPS Contracting and RPS Builders.

Brahma Mulugu paid Stacy $5,400 to remodel her basement but has little to show for it.

“I'm really frustrated. Extremely frustrated,” she said.

In August, Mulugu hired Rick Stacy to do the remodeling job. She says after a worker painted block walls, Stacy demanded another $1,400. Three days later, he begged for another $2,000 to pay his workers, Mulugu says.

“Workers are standing right outside my house. My wife doesn't like it. It's really an awkward position. Please help me. Please help me,” Mulugu recalled her conversation with Stacy.

She says Stacy badgered her until she agreed to meet him at a bank, and paid him. About a month later, a worker framed part of her basement, and it’s stayed that way since.

Months later, Mulugu saw the stories WRAL's 5 on Your Side had done on Stacy.

“I was shocked,” Mulugu said.

“He (Stacy) has an excuse list longer than the China Wall. It goes on forever. They just flow like water,” complainant Nancy Welsh said.

Welsh says she paid Stacy $9,000 for her incomplete, remodeling job. She says the only time she could reach Stacy was when he wanted money.

Debbie Dunkley says she paid Stacy $3,900 for work not done and a list of excuses.

“There were blatant lies and just not turning up, and I've heard every story known to man,” Dunkley said.

So far, it appears Stacy collected nearly $100,000 for work he did not finish, according to Wake County Assistant District Attorney David Sherlin who is prosecuting the case. Sherlin says Stacy faces 20 criminal cases in Wake County alone.

“His charges all deal with promising to perform certain work and not doing that work,” Sherlin said.

“(He) would go to one job and get a check and do some, or none of the work, then go to another job, get a check, do some or none of the work – that process just kept going and going,” Sherlin said.

After a court appearance in March, 5 on Your Side tried to talk with Stacy, but neither he nor his attorney would answer any questions about what he did with the money.

Mulugu and the other complainants say they realize their money is likely gone. But they don't want Stacy to get money from anyone else.

“He's a criminal in disguise, running around. And from one county to the other, he's been cheating various people,” Mulugu said.

Stacy's most recent attorney did not return phone calls from 5 on Your Side.

Mulugu's case is set to go to court Thursday in Durham.

Meanwhile, Stacy's mother, Sandy Danielson, also faces two felony charges related to check writing.

The complainants with whom WRAL spoke with said Danielson often called about jobs and was combative when talking with them. She was the same way when 5 on Your Side called, and said to "knock yourselves out" in pursuing this story.