Action News Troubleshooters: Montgomery County authorities issue warrant for contractor accused of doing no work

NARBERTH, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Montgomery County authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a local contractor accused of taking thousands of dollars from a senior citizen but never doing the job.

Detectives want your help finding Donald Zappley of South Jersey. Zappley is wanted on charges of theft, deceptive business practices and third-degree felony home improvement fraud, authorities say.

Eunyoun Kim, of Narberth, told the Action News Troubleshooters that they hired Zappley with Blackhawk Power and Service to provide and install a new air conditioning system in the summer of 2019.

Kim was especially worried about her husband's comfort.

"Since my husband has a condition has a stroke and a heart condition," she said.

Kim told the Troubleshooters she agreed to have Zappley install three new furnace and AC systems for $13,695 and paid him a 50% deposit.

"$7,000 but he wanted me to make it half and half, separate. $3,500 for himself for his name and $3,500 for the company name," Kim said.

Kim's agreement, dated August 20, 2019, says 'Delivery of first units expected within 10 days of order...' but since the money exchanged hands more than a year later, Kim said Zappley has done no work or provided any AC units.

Kim also told the Troubleshooters she has not seen Zappley since. She also provided text messages to the Troubleshooters between herself and Zappley that she said show promises to show up, which she said he never kept.

"I don't think he's coming, he always makes an excuse," she said.

Authorities say Zappley's registration as a Pennsylvania home improvement contractor expired back in 2011, and a Troubleshooters background check on him showed a long list of liens and judgments against him in New Jersey.

Kim says has a message for Zappley.

"Get it together, do your job...how can you sleep when you do that?" Kim said.

By phone, Zappley told the Troubleshooters he had some health issues and he can't give Mrs. Kim her money back because he bought equipment for her job. He also said he has not worked in almost a year because of COVID-19.