After a roofing contractor’s license was suspended by the Punta Gorda Building Board in January, customers of MTS Construction are speaking out about their poor experiences with the company and its principals. 

Lee County Economic Crimes Unit also is taking reports for those seeking to be involved in a criminal complaint and investigation of MTS Construction. 

Edward David Arasimowicz, who was the license holder of MTS Construction of Lee County, was found guilty on three counts of failing to obtain permits, proceeding to conduct work without obtaining the applicable local building department inspections and committing mismanagement or misconduct, causing financial harm to a customer. 

The board voted unanimously to suspend Arasimowicz’s license after hearing testimony and reviewing documents provided by the plaintiff, Punta Gorda Isles resident Norman Cardinale. 

The company’s salesman/representative who Cardinale dealt with at the time was Kyle Veloz. 

Veloz is listed as president of other limited liability companies, including Klaan Investments based in Cape Coral, where MTS Construction was headquartered. 

MTS Construction and its principals could not be reached for comment. 

Even though Veloz was the one signing up homeowners for the company’s roofing work and is listed as a principal of MTS Construction, he was not found culpable, as he was working under Arasimowicz’s license. 

Cardinale paid MTS Construction $132,000 for work that had to be redone, and he said since MTS filed for bankruptcy protection, he doubted whether he’d ever recoup his loss. 

He wasn’t alone. 

Alan Wright, a contractor who has owned Wright Flooring Southwest Florida for nearly three decades, hired MTS to replace the roof on his home in Fort Myers following damage from Hurricane Ian. 

Months later, Wright is out the $32,017 he paid MTS Construction, and in addition incurred a lien of some $22,000 from the manufacturing company that supplied the metal for his roof. 

“The material is still on the ground,” he said. 

Wright paid out of pocket to MTS because his insurance company, UPC, filed for bankruptcy protection after Hurricane Ian. 

When MTS completed the work, his roof failed inspection, he said. 

He opened a criminal case and learned that MTS Construction had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. 

Roger Phelps III is another victim. 

He wanted to share his experience and warn others. Phelps provided documentation from Lee County and the Better Business Bureau website, which reveals there have been 21 complaints filed against MTS Construction in the last three years. 

“We are one of many that suffered from the misconduct of MTS Construction, Kyle Veloz and John Sherwood,” Phelps said. 

Sherwood is listed as a manager and principal in Veloz’s companies. 

Veloz and Sherwood have been linked to other ventures and were listed as principals of MTS Construction when they were ordered to pay Fusion Funding $119,700 in a judgement against them in Kings County, New York’s Supreme Court last October. 

Phelps contends that about four months after contacting MTS, he attempted to be released from the contract and work with another roofing company because “it seemed like they were running a Ponzi scheme.” 

Phelps said he wanted to get out of his contract with MTS and get a roof before it caved in. 

“We spent many weeks calling and emailing with no response. They were always out working or out of town or not available. However, we did get one response where we were told the manager did not want to speak to us.” 

Despite all that he went through, Phelps considers himself one of the “lucky ones.” 

“I know one person has no roof and paid MTS all their money and has a lien on their house from Metal Maniacs. I spoke to another person who got a notice of lien of over $270,000 from Seamless Capital as part of MTS selling future receipts to companies,” Phelps said. 

He said he’s also fortunate his house didn’t burn down, as the contractors roofed over the dryer vent. 

Others mentioned mold, leaks and other problems because of MTS Construction’s work on their roofs. 

“It is insane Florida doesn’t do more to protect homeowners from contractors like this. At this point, we have almost no recourse. We are out the money of a new metal roof plus whatever it is going to cost to tear that off and put on another new metal roof, plus we have to deal with a lien on our house and countless more hours of sifting through the legal minutia of this whole ordeal,” Phelps said.  

Anyone wishing to file a report against MTS Construction with the Economic Crimes Unit can call 239-258-3240. Complainants will be asked to provide information, such as proof of payments to MTS Construction.