RALEIGH, N.C. — WRAL reported Wednesday about a

Wake County builder

who left home buyers with empty pockets and less than complete houses. Now, a source believe he was using money from future deals to pay off past debts. Some of his alleged victims believe he should have known better.

One day after the Tysor family was supposed to close on a eastern Wake County home, contractors yanked out the air conditioning units and major appliances. The builder, Capps and Associates, never paid them, closing the door on the family's dream house.

"Even though we know that we are not going to close on the house, I still come here because this was supposed to be our home," homeowner Laquita Tysor said.

Ryan Vick said he has nothing to show for more than $30,000 he gave James Capps. He contacted police and an attorney after he saw WRAL's report showing a series of Capps' broken promises, holes in the ground and half-built homes.

"We were just floored," he said.

Mike Hinton of Top Dog Siding is one of many subcontractors not paid by Capps. He said Capps talked about pulling the plug on customers weeks ago.

"What he said was that the title insurance would eventually pay off all those customers," he said.

A source close to the Capps family told WRAL the builder will lose his own home in bankruptcy. That information is little consolation to the trail of people hurt by his financial failures.

"If he saw that he was making these bad business decisions, he needed to stop taking all of these people's money and right the wrong he had done," Vick said.

At least one criminal investigation is underway in this case and various contractors and homebuyers have hired attorneys.

There is still no word from Capps, who disappeared in recent weeks. A family friend told WRAL Capps is considering his limited options to resolve the issue.