PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. – An Arkansas contractor accused of scamming customers out of thousands of dollars for contracting work he was paid for but never performed is currently behind bars.
Little Rock Police Department records show accused contractor Stephen Rast was arrested Monday during a traffic stop in west Little Rock for outstanding warrants. Officers booked him into the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility.
Working4You: Arkansas attorney general’s office wins lawsuit against unlicensed contractor Stephen Rast According to the incident report, officers pulled over Rast for fictitious plates, then found he was driving with a suspended license. Officers found out Rast had warrants for his arrest in Sherwood, Bryant and Pulaski County.
The Working 4 You team started looking into Rast in 2022 after several customers claimed they had paid Rast a 50% deposit to perform work on their homes, but he never did the work.
State of Arkansas sues contractor at the middle of Working4You investigation The Arkansas Attorney General’s office got involved in the investigation at the end of 2022, promising to take Rast to court. In October, Attorney General Tim Griffin and his team led a case against Rast that ended in a default judgment. At the time, Griffin said the next challenge would be to obtain property for restitution.
The attorney general’s office accused Rast of stealing $5,000 to $25,000 from customers. In the last month, the state has filed a motion to show cause, asking Rast for a list of personal property. He has yet to respond, according to Griffin’s office.
Working4You: Investigation update on Arkansas contractor accused of stealing thousands from clients Upon hearing of the arrest of Rast, Griffin said the contractor would be held accountable.
“My office’s lawsuit against Mr. Rast continues, and I am committed to doing everything in my power to hold this bad actor accountable and ensure restoration for the people he defrauded,” Griffin pledged.
According to arrest documents, Rast also faces charges of unpaid child support along with theft of property charges. He is also faces charges in Bryant for failure to appear in court after being cited for driving with a suspended license.
Arkansas attorney general calls contractor ‘con artist’ as complaints pile up against him Rast has a July 29 court date in Pulaski County Circuit Court.
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