ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Families across St. Charles County say they received nothing in return after paying contractor Raymond L. Alexander thousands of dollars.
He is not only wanted in court, but investigators also fear there may be other victims.
Debbra Arndt in O’Fallon, MO, said she paid $7,500, which is half down on a roof that she says Alexander never started.
“He would text me, ‘Well, there’s things going on right now’ or they don’t have the supplies in and I went to the place he said he ordered the supplies and they said they’d never heard of him,” Arndt said.
Alexander was convicted of stealing in her case and ordered to pay her back in 2023. Arndt says she only received one check.
“For $170, which was mailed from the prosecuting attorney’s office, that is it,” she said.
Peggy and Eric Hrnicek in Weldon Spring paid $12,500 for a kitchen remodel that never started.
“He’s charming enough and he says the right things to convince you he can get the job done,” Peggy said.
Their case also led to Alexander getting a criminal conviction for stealing, and yet more victims are coming to light.
“It was heartbreaking to know that we did everything we could, at least up until that point, to make the system aware,” Eric added.
Court records indicate a judge gave Alexander five years of probation in 2023 for three of the stealing cases, which involved a total of about $18,000. A new stealing charge this month involves an additional $21,000, with court records adding, “In 2021 and 2022, Alexander scammed multiple unsuspecting victims out of approximately $40,000 under the same scheme.”
FOX 2 took a visit to Old St. Charles, which is listed in court records as where contractor Alexander lives. A man who answered the door said the contractor was renting a room but has since left town.
“Let’s just end the cycle right now,” Eric said.
The Hrniceks have given up hope on repayment. Their interest is in protecting others.
Arndt says her loss impacts her ministry and her backyard garden. She used to feed the homeless for 30 years.
“The money I had saved for this had to go to put on the new roof,” she said. “So now I’m going to be waiting another year or two to replace all of this.”
If you see Alexander or think you are a victim, call your local police department and the St. Charles County Prosecutor’s Office.