LONGVIEW — A former business owner in Kelso has admitted to stealing from customers and was ordered to pay almost $90,000.
Steve Wayne Stoll, 54, entered into a plea deal with Cowlitz County Superior Court prosecutors following his 2021 arrest for taking nearly $70,000 from customers in late 2020 and early 2021 and never finishing the work.
Stoll was the owner of the closed Premier Cabinetry and Design, formerly located on Main Street in Kelso.
He reached an plea agreement with Cowlitz County prosecutors last month. This arrangement, known as an Barr plea, allows him to plead to different charges in exchange for a favorable deal.
According to his attorney, Jeffrey Neal Riback of the Law Office of Erin Bradley McAleer in Vancouver, his client received 29 days of community service, plus 12 months of community custody.
Stoll pleaded guilty to nine counts of first-degree theft, and also faced an additional charge of third-degree theft.
Getting their money back
Last week, he was ordered to pay restitution to eight people and two businesses — all in Cowlitz County — for a total of $89,801.
Neil Crawford, who reported his $15,000 theft to law enforcement on Feb. 22, 2021, is slated to have the money returned through restitution, court documents show.
To complete the kitchen remodel Stoll never finished, Crawford and his wife acted as their own general contractors and hired “reputable businesses” to complete the work, he said.
As part owner of Premier Cabinetry and Design, Stoll bid on remodeling projects and collected payments from prospective clients, a police report states.
Stoll continued to finalize contracts and received over $67,000 in payments from clients during the last months of the business, from November 2020 to February 2021.
In February, Stoll sent a letter to current clients stating the business was closing and there was no more money or assets for refunds, the police report states.
After his interactions with Stoll, Crawford said he’ll be more careful when doing business in the future.
“Before any money changes hands, I’m going to want to know that the job is going to be done,” he said. “I’m going to want to know what their insurance is, how many bonds they have.”
Crawford offered some final advice for those seeking to avoid a similar situation. He said make sure the business you plan to hire has an active license and no outstanding fines. If there are fines, investigate the reasons behind them.
