He cursed at the FOX23 crew, started his car and peeled out. That was after the crew confronted him and asked why his name was signed on the back on a $10,000 cashed check - money a couple paid for a roof they never got.
The man's real name is Phil Strawn. But he's told customers his name is Frank Tanner.
It's just one piece of a string of bad business dealings FOX23 has been investigating since the summer of 2011. Strawn has worked with the Pittman brothers - Bill and Casey Pittman. They own Precision Contracting & Roofing, a local roofing company, that has changed its name several times.
FOX23's investigation started with one complaint and one story. After that first story aired, eight more people say the same company, Precision Contracting & Roofing, either did shoddy work or took their payment up front and didn't do any work at all.
So FOX23 dug deep into the background of the company, the business owners and workers. FOX23 looked into how companies get away with taking customers for thousands of dollars. FOX23 also found out what homeowners should do before they hire someone to work in their homes.
In the first complaint to FOX23, homeowner Jennifer Capron said she hired the Pittmans to put on a new roof in April. But after she paid them for the job, she found out she'd been had. Turns out, the crew only did 25 percent of the job - the portion of the roof she could see from the street.
"I was devastated. I was taken advantage of. I work hard for my money. To have it stolen from me is very devastating," Jennifer said.
Jennifer hired her brother, Attorney Steve Capron, to file a lawsuit against the Pittmans and their roofing company. "There was no question there was a problem with the roof," Steve said.
Steve said Bill Pittman and his brother Casey promised him on the phone they'd take care of the problem, but never did.
"If we made a mistake, we'll fix it," Bill said in a recorded phone conversation with Steve.
"It's my company name. I'm not here to screw anybody over. I'll try to do the right thing," Casey said in a recorded phone conversation with Steve.
Bill did agree to send his foreman to look at Jennifer's roof.
Cell phone video showed the foreman checking the roof two weeks later.
On video, he admitted the roof wasn't done right.
"Even Ray Charles could see that," the foreman said.
"He candidly admitted the Pittmans routinely changed business names and tax ID numbers, so they can avoid liability for what they're doing," Steve said.
When FOX23 called Bill Pittman, he said he knew there was a problem with the roof.
And he said he would give Jennifer her money back.
Jennifer says that never happened.
"They're not new at this game... they're accomplished at the fraud they're doing," Steve said.
For another woman who did business with Precision, it went so badly, it affected her health.
"I had to go on blood pressure medication because of the stress from it," she said.
So she asked us not to reveal her identity.
"I know when I look back I should've known better," she said.
She says she paid Precision Contracting and Roofing for a new roof before any work was done. It was a check from her mortgage company - made out to the Precision Contracting & Roofing for $10,000.
She said Bill Pittman's wife picked up the check.
"We were very upset. They had $10,000, and they weren't calling us back," she said.
She says the roofing company never showed up to do any work.
"Ten-thousand dollars is a lot of money to us... It's been very frustrating... It's stealing, and it's upsetting," she said.
We did more digging on Precision Contracting and Roofing and Bill and Casey Pittman.
Their company was registered with the Better Business Better. But now it has an F rating.
"The company has an F rating with us because of unanswered complaints and because of serious complaints," said Better Business spokesperson Rick Brinkley.
Turns out, Precision Contracting and Roofing isn't licensed with the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board as required to do roofing work in this state.
The BBB records show the Pittmans have used several company names, including Precision Contracting and Roofing, CWRP, LLC and Owasso Roofing.
Brinkley says companies can easily change business names, with a little paperwork and about one hundred dollars.
"They may operate one day, go out of business the next, and leave a lot of people holding the bag. Then they open the following day under a new name. And there's no way to connect the two," Brinkley said.
Brinkley says when hiring a company, homeowners have to do their homework. Brinkley says don't just research the business. Know who the people are working at your home.
Remember the man who said he was the foreman on Jennifer's roofing job? He said his name was Frank Tanner.
Turns out, he's not. He's really John Phillip Strawn, II. He goes by Phil Strawn.
Strawn's been arrested in Tulsa County 11 times. He went to jail in January for assault and battery.
FOX23 repeatedly tried to call Strawn and Bill Pittman and Casey Pittman.
And when they didn't respond, a FOX23 crew set out to talk to them in person.
The FOX23 crew found Phil Strawn in a south Tulsa parking lot.
Strawn told the crew he didn't work with the Pittmans.
But in a recorded conversation with attorney Steve Capron, he had admitted he worked with them.
And don't forget the video of him checking Jennifer's roof - when he said he was the foreman on the job.
Strawn told the FOX23 crew his name wasn't on any official paperwork.
So the crew reminded him about a check he signed.
Remember the woman who paid $10,000 for a roof she never got?
The name on the back of the cashed check - was Phil Strawn.
Strawn told the FOX23 crew that it's not against the law to cash a check for someone.
"He's the one who signed the check and cashed it through a check cashing place," the woman told FOX23. "He got away with $10,000."
Clearly, Phil Strawn - A.K.A. Frank Tanner - was tired of answering questions.
He cursed at the FOX23 crew, flipped them off and drove away.
Within five minutes of that, Bill Pittman sent a text to the FOX23 crew. It simply said - "no comment."
And Casey Pittman still hasn't returned FOX23's calls. The FOX23 crew hasn't been able to find him in person.
But FOX23 did find his criminal record. Casey Pittman's been arrested seven times in Tulsa County since 1999.
Bill Pittman was arrested for fraud - attempting to obtain money on false pretense - in Delaware County in 1997. But the case was dismissed, due to a lack of evidence.
"There are people all over the midwest that are victims of these people," Attorney Steve Capron said.
FOX23 found out the Pittmans went to Joplin, Missouri and Overland Park, Kansas after storms tore through those areas.
And in Johnson County, Kansas, Bill was arrested and charged in October for two counts of felony theft - theft of property and services.
Authorities there said Bill was charged after he cashed a $6,000 check and didn't do any roofing work and then did the same thing to another homeowner.
Pittman was released from jail but is supposed to go back to court February 23.
"We have a number of cases that involve Bill and Casey Pittman and John Strawn that involve guns, violence, threats of violence, counterfeiting, use of false identification. You name it - these are not good people. They've been in trouble with the law repeatedly.
What people told FOX23 on and off-camera about the Pittmans shows a similar track record.
People say they're simply doing bad business.
"It's sad to think people come out and steal your money. That's what Bill and Casey Pittman are doing. They're robbing people, and it's devastating to anybody out there," Jennifer said.
"It was horrible... I don't want to dwell on it anymore but just to help other people," said the customer who chose not to reveal her identity.
"Ten-thousand dollars! That's what gripes me... of course it's a crime. I don't understand why criminal charges haven't been filed. It's stealing, and it's upsetting." she said.
Some of the customers who talked to FOX23 have filed reports with police against Bill and Casey Pittman, including the woman who's out $10,000.
At first Broken Arrow police told her it was a civil case. But since FOX23 started making calls, police said they made a mistake - that it should be a criminal case.
That evidence is now in the hands of the Wagoner County Distrist Attorney, who will make the final decision.
So, when you're hiring someone, here's what you should do first.
-Do an internet search on the company name and the business owner's name. You never know what you might find.
-Check with the Better Business Bureau to see a company's rating or to find out if customers have complained.
-In 2010, it became a law that if you want to do roofing work in this state, you have to register.
-In the past year, the local Better Business Bureau removed 39 roofing companies just because they weren't registered.
-If you want to find out if a roofing company is registered, go to this website: http://www.ok.gov/cib/
-And check this website: www.oscn.net. There, you can find out if businesses or their owners have been sued. You will also see any criminal charges filed.
-And when people show up to your home, you can ask for their identification if you want to make sure they really are who they say they are.
