Troubled paver arrested in SC

SOUTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- Investigators said they have caught a paver with a long history of ripping off homeowners in North Carolina and other states.

Investigators finally caught up with Tommy Clack over the weekend in South Carolina. He pleaded guilty to a number of charges there Monday. Now, I've learned federal investigators are also looking into Clack.

Clack is no stranger to the court system. He's appeared several times here in North Carolina and also in Maryland, South Carolina, and Florida. Those appearances all revolved around charges dealing with his paving business.

"This is one of the most frustrating cases I've had as attorney general," said N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper.

Cooper's office has been investigating Clack for years. In June 2010, a judge banned Clack from providing paving services in North Carolina, and also ordered him to pay back victims.

The Odoms are one of those victims. They paid clack $11,000 to pave their driveway.

"He sold us a phony bill of goods is what he did," said Patricia Odom.

The Odoms were left with a bad job. As part of the court order, Clack paid back the Odom's their $11,000, but investigators said he moved on to other unsuspecting North Carolina victims and scammed two homeowners out of $79,000 for shoddy driveway paving jobs.

Besides violating the civil North Carolina court order, Clack also faces four felony charges in Moore County. 

Monday, in South Carolina, Clack faced a judge and pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining goods under false pretenses and three counts of swindling.  He was sentenced to five years probation.

In Maryland, there is a cease and desist order against Clack and he faces criminal charges all revolving around his alleged paving scam. 

"His judgment day will come. This guy needs be in jail," said Cooper. "Consumers should not have to deal with this type of person who continues to violate the law time and time again."

Cooper told me things are getting more serious as there is now a joint task force of state and federal investigators looking into Clack on various federal charges.

"I think things are moving now where there are going to be charges serious enough where he will be convicted and put in jail for a long period of time," said Cooper.

Until that happens, Cooper warns that clack is a slick talker, who changes his name often and preys on the elderly. 

Cooper also said Clack's game is that he offers the paving job at a great price, gets the OK to start the job without anything in writing, and then once the job is done, he raises the price thousands of dollars demanding payment.

Clack remains behind bars in South Carolina.

As for the criminal charges Clack faces in Moore County, he is due in court in July.

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