By RSSFeeds Administrator According to the probable cause affidavit from the Izard County Sheriff’s Office, a complaint was filed by representatives of the Pizza Pro Depot in Melbourne this month, saying the canopy over their diesel pumps was damaged in February. When trying to find someone to fix the canopy, they found JD Construction of Searcy on the internet and assumed it was a licensed and reputable company.
Stiles, the listed owner of the company, met with representatives of the Pizza Pro Depot and quoted them a price of $7,900 to make the needed repairs. The store approved the price and paid him by check.
In May, the company paid Stiles another $4,000, and an additional $3,300 was paid in August.
The representatives provided copies of conversations between them and Stiles concerning his lack of completion of the project. Stiles said due to health conditions, being unable to hire help, and equipment failure, he has been unable to do the work.
Photos were provided of Stiles’ “haphazard” attempts to secure partial repairs to the canopy that eventually failed, causing more safety concerns for the company.
The company eventually had to hire another contractor to do the work at a cost of $7,850.
During the investigation, it was learned the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board has recorded numerous documented instances of Stiles receiving payments from clients but failing to start or complete the work and then not repaying the funds. The board has imposed several civil penalties against Stiles.
In the Izard County case, Stiles is charged with theft of property totaling more than $5,000 but less than $25,000. His bond will be set at $15,000 once he is taken into custody.
WHITE COUNTY CASE
In the White County case from earlier this year, Stiles agreed to rebuild a canopy over fuel pumps at a service station outside of Searcy at a price of $50,000. The business paid him $25,000 as a deposit in May.The business then paid an additional $8,000 for more materials.
The owner said Stiles did a minimal amount of work that was “of inferior quality, with materials that were later deemed to be deficient.”
In that case, Stiles is facing theft of property greater than $25,000. White County authorities are also still searching for him.
PREVIOUS ARRESTS
In May of 2019, Stiles was arrested after taking a $7,500 deposit to do construction work on a house in Searcy and never doing the job. When the owner of the home confronted him about the job, Stiles said he did not have the money to pay him back.
He was charged with theft and sentenced to five years of probation.
In 2023, Stiles was arrested again after taking a $35,000 deposit to build a cabin in Bald Knob. The affidavit noted Stiles did a minimal amount of work and then failed to show up at the work site for over one year.
He was charged with theft of property greater than $25,000. That case is still working its way through the court system.
That arrest also revoked his probation from his previous arrest.
CIVIL LAWSUITS
Court records show six civil lawsuits have been filed against Stiles, and all six of the plaintiffs won their suits. Three of the lawsuits were filed by individuals, and three were filed by businesses.
UNCHARGED CRIME
In 2020, KATV television in Little Rock did a story about a woman in Rose Bud in White County who hired Stiles to build a handicap ramp and a deck onto her mobile home. She paid him $9,000, which was half of the quoted price, to get started and buy the materials.
But, just like in his other scams, Stiles worked a few hours and then stopped showing up. The victim’s family wound up finishing the job for her.
No charges were ever filed in that case.
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