Joel Charron and his wife took out a $200,000 loan to pay for a renovation and expansion of their Amherstburg home plus a new garage. They trusted a friend of the family to do the job. “It weighs on me. It weighs on me every day,” Charron said. “It’s tough looking myself in the mirror knowing that I failed my family this bad. I failed my family in the most tragic of ways by trusting someone that couldn’t do this job.” Charron’s wife filed a report with the Amherstburg detachment of Windsor Police. “Within 24 hours we got a call from the officer saying her intuition was right.” Earlier this week Jessie Flaricee of MBS Home Solutions turned himself in after police issued a warrant for his arrest. He is facing fraud and forgery related charges. Police say his company was dissolved in 2024 for non-compliance. “You want to make sure that that person has insurance. If that person doesn’t have insurance the likelihood of you getting restitution for everything you went through is highly unlikely,” Constable Bianca Jackson warned. Police are reminding residents research is vital when looking for a contractor. “Look at those google reviews. Get references and also look at the person’s work.” Charron says the family is out $155-thousand dollars and spent the bulk of the remaining cash to undo the work already done. Loose wires, improperly installed drywall, and a deficient foundation were some of the problems others pointed out to Charron. The family asked the town to inspect the work, and the home did not pass. The family now has a lawyer but not their home. They are staying with family. Charron says a new contractor is scheduled to begin tackling the problem starting Monday. There is no timeline on when the family can move back in. “I can’t wait for that day to come.” A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family through.
