A contractor accused of taking money from an Omaha couple without delivering the new windows he promised, then threatening to kill the family if they talked to channel 6, has been arrested in Des Moines.
Darrel Hamilton now awaits extradition to Nebraska. We've heard about him before, but under a different company name. Brandi and Don wanted to lose the green on their house at 108th and Blondo, not in their bank account. But the contractor they paid $5,000 to for windows and siding has only supplied them with excuses. "That he was diagnosed with 100 tumors and he was undergoing chemo and is really sick at this time," said Brandi Bowers. The couple regrets not seeing red flags. "I wish I'd had a date put on here, a start and a completion date."
Hamilton, of Imperial Improvements, didn't sign the contract, but he did cash their $5,000 check. The Omaha police detective investigating the couple's complaint gave the owner of Imperial Improvements 24 hours to refund their $5,000. That deadline passed and now in court a warrant has been issued for Hamilton alleging theft by deception, and the affidavit outlines another serious allegation. After Six On Your Side left a message for Hamilton, he called the customer who told police Hamilton allegedly said, "If you go to f***** Mike McKnight, I'll kill you and your family." Don and Brandi said all they want is a refund. "I put my total trust in him, I thought he was professional and we're all excited about getting done, but no show," said Don Dawkins.
Homeowner Deb Beirman sued the same contractor, but found he changed his company name. "It makes me very angry that he can change the name in a heartbeat and run to another neighborhood, pass out flyers, and have more people hand over money." Small claims court has several cases on file against Hamilton, but not under his new company name. Brandi and Don said it would have been worth the time to dig deeper, $5,000 worth.
Our call to Hamilton was returned by an attorney who said Hamilton intends to fulfill the contract and he has even ordered siding and windows. However, the attorney couldn't provide the name of the supplier so we could check that out. The attorney was unaware that an arrest warrant had been issued for Hamilton.
