DENVER — A Colorado roofer facing felony charges after a Denver7 exposé has now paid back all of his named victims.
In January 2020, Contact Denver7 started digging into Mastercraft Exteriors after more than a dozen people said they paid thousands for work that never happened.
The company's owner, Brett Ehret, was then hit with several felony charges. Those charges were recently dropped as part of a plea agreement, according to Ehret's defense attorney Jacob Martinez. Ehret agreed to pay the 12 named victims back with interest.
Robert James paid Mastercraft Exteriors more than $7,000 for a new roof and never saw them again.
Contact Denver7 has been working to get answers ever since.
As more customers saw our stories, more reached out to police with similar stories.
"They didn't do anything. I didn't even get supplies dropped off, nothing," Mark Trosch said.
Eventually, the Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office filed felony theft charges against Ehret in 2020.
"Certainly, he is remorseful," said Jacob Martinez, Bret Ehret's defense attorney.
He said Ehret never intended to harm customers when his business went south.
Martinez said all charges were dismissed against Ehret because of a plea agreement that required he pay the named victims back with interest. He also said his client lives out of state and does not plan to do roofing in Colorado again.
"I think that the way that he resolved the case, which involved paying them back in full, shows that he understood that he was accountable and he took that accountability," Martinez said.
"I'm just glad to get my money back," Trosch said, who received a check for more than $18,000. After the Contact Denver7 stories, a reputable company also put on his new roof at no cost to him.
"Thank goodness there's someone out there looking out for everybody to take care of this issue," Trosch said, who appreciated the D.A. and Aurora police stepping up to investigate.
Robert James also received a free roof last year and is forever grateful.
"That [roofer's] sign is gonna stay up as long as I'm living. The sign will always be up," he said.
He and his wife Priscilla figured they would never see their money back when the $8,000 check came in the mail.
"It's like they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease," James said. "If it hadn't been for Contact Denver7, I probably wouldn't have got my money back."
Editor's note: Denver7 seeks out audience tips and feedback to help people in need, resolve problems and hold the powerful accountable. If you know of a community need our call center could address, or have a story idea for our investigative team to pursue, please email us at contact7@thedenverchannel.com or call (720) 462-7777. Find more Contact Denver7 stories here.
