Tornado shelter company faces felony accusations of defrauding customers
The owner of a tornado shelter company was accused Monday in a felony case of defrauding customers who paid for shelters that were never installed.
William Jay Stephens, 55, of Muskogee, was charged in Cleveland County District Court with six counts of embezzlement and one count of a pattern of criminal offenses.
He has owned Tornado King Inc. for about three decades, according to a spokeswoman with the state attorney general. The Muskogee-based company, though, appears to no longer be in operation, the spokeswoman said Monday.
Stephens is accused of stealing more than $41,000 from six customers between February 2016 and April 2016, documents show. An investigation began after the state attorney general received multiple complaints against the company.
Some victims met Stephens at lawn and garden shows, according to investigators. The victims later gave Tornado King full or partial payments for shelter installations, investigators reported.
When work wasn’t completed, Stephens would give excuses for the delays, including weather problems, increased business and employee issues, an agent for the state attorney general reported in a court affidavit. Victims said the company eventually became unresponsive, the agent reported.
“We will not tolerate individuals or companies that defraud Oklahomans,” state Attorney General Mike Hunter said Monday.
A warrant was issued Monday for Stephens’ arrest. He could not be reached by telephone Monday.
At least one victim in the felony case has sued Tornado King. That victim paid the company $10,295 — more than any other victim in the case. That lawsuit in Le Flore County is pending, records show.
In 2015, an Oklahoma County woman sued Tornado King after an installed shelter “rusted through and began leaking,” documents show. In March, a judge awarded the woman a $50,000 judgment against Tornado King.
Records also show three pending lawsuits against Tornado King out of Tulsa County, each dealing with customers paying for shelters that were never installed.