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New Details: Contractor Matt Banks Arrested, Released On Bond
August 12, 2022
Matthew Banks was arrested on an outstanding Pensacola Police Department warrant issued by the Pensacola Police Department. He surrendered at the Okaloosa County Jail Wednesday evening on a a third degree felony charge of contractor fail to refund.
Okaloosa County Jail records first available Friday show he was released on a $2, 500 bond.
Previous story:
The contractors licenses of both Matthew Banks (pictured below left) and Jesse LaCoste (pictured below right) have been revoked by Escambia County.
Both were accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in payments from county residents for home improvement projects and repairs but never completing, or even starting, the work.
Banks, of Banks Construction, had been ordered by the Escambia County Contractor Competency Board to pay restitution to two homeowners for unfinished repairs.. LaCoste, of LaCoste Construction Group, was also ordered to pay restitution to another homeowner The county says both failed to pay by a Wednesday deadline.
According to our news partners at WEAR 3, Banks and LaCoste are brother-in-laws.
Santa Rosa County has also revoked Banks’ contractors license. He has also filed for bankruptcy in federal court.
Banks has been the subject of over a dozen complaints to the Escambia County Contractor Competency Board this year, according to board agendas.
Banks also registered the business names 3 T Construction, LLC and Fourtee Construction, LLC in April and May, respectively, according to the Florida Division of Corporations.
LaCoste has not been arrested on any charges.
Banks’ mugshot was not immediately available from Okaloosa County.
Comments
21 Responses to “New Details: Contractor Matt Banks Arrested, Released On Bond”
I knew Jesse when he was around 12 or so. I knew his father.
I knew his grandfather, Ronnie. I was once so very proud of him. He always spoke of success. When he bought the big house. I knew something was going on. His father was a licensed builder. His grandfather was a licensed electrician. I was a licensed builder. And we never saw success so quickly. All the beautiful cars. Now I know. Now we all know. It’s a shame. His father and grandpa would never allow this sort of thing. His father away from a car crash. His grandfather died heart failure. I never the would turn out this way. I hope he sells everything and pays every back. Do the right thing, Jesse. Your family are people that truly loves the LORD. Do the correct thing. Think of your real FATHER. Pray.
Good luck on getting restitution. I had a lady that stole over 55,000 from me. Somebody knew the judge and she moved out of the state no residence in Florida and does not have to pay me so good luck and the best of wishes on you getting it. In fact it happened at the same address that Banks last attended.
A local civic organization recently was scammed by an alleged mural painter. It’s a shame that people don’t have the honor to stick by their word. The contractors mentioned above need to be held accountable. Theft by deception is a serious problem in today’s society.
Drew, You are correct. In twenty five years, I have never ask for money up front. If a contractor ask for money up front, find another contractor.
Y’all watch…
Banks is already trying to open another business and business account…
He is blaming all his sun-contractors for this…
He doesn’t feel any guilt, it’s all someone else’s fault…
And his brother in law…. Jesse
He just wanted to be like Matt…
We were lucky. That product wasn’t great, but we were fortunate enough to have it completed. I fully feel it was because I played on his emotion by telling him to be a man and stick by his word. 8 months for a 6 week project. Within 4 weeks after that comment they wrapped up. They worked 4 days a week during that 4 weeks while only 1 day each two weeks during the previous 8 months.
My hopes is this opens up some eyes and the investigation runs deeper than just looking at these 2 contractors. There also needs to be accountability at the county level, too.
There are many more horrible contractors out here. Not all are G.C’s, but subcontractors getting away with horrible work and ripping off consumers.
Never pay a legitimate contractor up front and you won’t be a victim. I have been in construction for over 30 years and have never asked for money up front. Legitimate contractors should never ask for money up front, it is the way we are taught.
I’m just here for the comments.
SMH.
looks like Grand Theft ; 2nd or 3rd degree ; he will start paying restitution from a jail cell ; until then he will live it up :
I am wondering, if the law allows people who do this, to not have to pay the people they stole from back.
I work for bank dry wall finisher finishing up on a police officers house took me off the job sent me to gulf shores to start a new job and the previous job was two days away from completshion on the gulf shores job by myself caring 3 quarter dry wall up 6flites of stars by my self no help hurt my knee went to emergency room same day reported it to super intendent I was let go no body cared
Wow cant believe this i use to be a subcontractor for these scumbags they screw me out of thoussands 2 years ago i quit construction all together … karma is real…they screw other contractors as well so many people they messed over that we all stop doing work for them…its crazy because my wife had to fight we these 2 because they wouldnt pay i remember that cold winter of 2020 because they were on holiday vacation while my family we didnt have a holiday with no money it was tough but god sees everything!!
Need to inform the judge about these two. The can file bankruptcy, after the PAY EVERONE back
Well look a here…I reckon those “living your best life” posts snd photos won’t be seen as much anymore. Wow, what a fall from Grace you both have taken these days. One can’t flaunt stolen money and it not get back out to your victims. I use to have high respect for both of these fellas but that’s dwindling to absolutely nothing. Ol big boy couldn’t make it in the Police force and the other one has spent more time on paper than he’s been out. Just goes to show you how far some will go to Rob innocent people who trusted you….
I was a contractor in Florida for a lot of years with never a complaint with the competency board. These two make good contractors look bad and they cast a dark cloud over contractors in general. I sincerely hope that they are punished effectively and have to pay full restitution. These two are thieves plain and simple and new exactly what they were doing.
Glad to see some local meat-headed scumbag contractors have the book thrown at them. I am tired of seeing my friends and family get ripped off by every hack with a fresh line of business credit and a bank-owned pickup truck.
Our 3 month reno took 15 months and you walked out of our contract with it incomplete. We unknowingly, reached out to LaCoste which wanted to charge me 40k for the kitchen alone…you both are the worse of 2 evils…I hope KARMA plays on you royally. I hope you have to sell EVERYTHING to pay us back since your employees constantly bragged that you have millions. PS, and that house you bought a block from us…with CLIENT money, I hope the money invested goes to the clients you swindled.
It’s sad everyone is protected but the customer…the lender want help you out and he can just file for bankruptcy and go back to work..
Both of these guys are scum.. one clearly has no intention of an honest living hunt why he didn’t make it in the military or police force
The other is simply a freeloader trying to coast of someone else’s coat tail…Karma is going to destroy these 2 and hopefully it does it in jail.
I hope they lock these two up and throw away the key and take everything they gained fraudulently to pay back the victims.
What a way to get out of this situation. By filing for bankruptcy. You both should go to jail, if you want to file bankruptcy, cause we all know it’s a way out of paying back what you stole from people. Shame on you both.