Man accused in remodeling contractor scams across state now on trial in Tarrant County

A 48-year-old man with a history of theft accusations and convictions across the state is on trial this week, accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from six Tarrant County customers for remodeling work that he never did.

Chad Alan Cappiello of The Colony is accused of three counts of theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000. He faces up to life in prison if convicted on two of the counts and up to 20 years in prison on the third count.

Cappiello is accused of stealing more than $58,000 from six Tarrant County victims, three of whom are elderly, in a three-month span beginning in March 15, 2017, according to court documents.

Cappiello has a history of theft convictions across the state and pending theft charges in Coryell and Jasper counties.

Most recently, in May 2017, he was sentenced to two years in state jail in Hopkins County after being convicted of stealing from a mother and daughter who had paid him more than $15,000 to remodel their kitchen.

He allegedly took money from the Tarrant County victims the week leading up to his Hopkins County trial and even after he was found guilty and was awaiting sentencing, according to a pre-trial motion filed by Tarrant County prosecutor John Newbern.

Cappiello has pleaded not guilty in the Tarrant County cases. He is represented by defense attorneys Benson Varghese and Steven Jumes.

Prosecutors allege Cappiello owned and managed a home renovation company known at the time as Extreme Remodeling and Southland Exteriors.

Prosecutors allege that Cappiello would meet with potential customers and that his wife would then call and harass the customers for payment. Once payments were made, the customers were either ignored completely or given numerous excuses why the work was delayed, they say.

The three elderly victims allegedly paid Cappiello a total of more than $33,000 and the three other victims more than $24,000, according to an indictment.

The documents state numerous others fell prey to similar home remodeling schemes by Cappiello and that they may be called to testify in the trial.

Prosecutors say Cappiello used an alias, Chad Russell, with potential customers.

“His purpose in hiding his identity is clear: had the victims done a simple internet search for ‘Chad Cappiello’ at the time the checks were written, a series of allegations against the Defendant would have come to light including allegations that he was a scam artist, a crook, and a dishonest person,” Newbern wrote in the pre-trial motion.

When he sentenced Cappiello in Hopkins County to the maximum sentence of two years in state jail, State District Judge Eddie Northcutt indicated he wished he could have given him more time. He also said he was surprised that Cappiello’s pants had not erupted in an inferno because he was a liar, according to KSST radio.

This story was originally published May 8, 2019 at 2:20 PM.