A Charlotte-area appliance repairman who was already banned from working in North Carolina is back behind bars, this time on a fresh stack of charges out of the Triad. Deputies arrested 42-year-old John Clay Jackson on May 20, 2026, in Archdale after serving seven outstanding warrants tied to unpaid or unfinished appliance jobs in several counties, according to local authorities. Jackson was booked into the Randolph County Detention Center and now faces seven counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and three counts of failing to work after being paid.
Investigators first started digging into the latest round of allegations after a tip came in on March 26, according to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. A magistrate later signed off on multiple warrants, and the Criminal Apprehension Team tracked Jackson to Archdale on May 20. Authorities say the seven warrants are tied to alleged incidents in Randolph, Yadkin, Surry and Rowan counties. WFMY reported that the investigation is still active and that some complaints claim customers paid for parts or repairs that never happened.
Background
This is not Jackson’s first run-in with state authorities over his repair work. In 2020, the North Carolina Department of Justice won a civil judgment that permanently barred him from performing or advertising appliance repair anywhere in the state. The order also required $12,658.36 in restitution and tacked on $110,000 in civil penalties. The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office said that case followed dozens of consumer complaints that described sham inspections, fake orders for parts and payments that were never returned.
State filings and prior reporting show Jackson did business under a rotating list of company names and aliases, which investigators say made it tougher for unhappy customers to figure out who they were actually dealing with. Those names include Appliance Maxx, Appliance Max LLC, Professional Appliance Service, Rapid Response Appliance Repair, All Seasons Refrigeration Heating & Cooling and Star Appliance & HVAC. Jackson told WFMY that the allegations against him have been “misconstrued” and that the people who filed complaints “have either been repaid or will be repaid.”
Legal implications
Prosecutors say the new counts accuse Jackson of taking money or parts and then failing to complete the promised repairs, according to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. In North Carolina, “obtaining property by false pretenses” is a felony under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-100, as set out by the North Carolina General Assembly. To win a conviction, the state has to show a false representation that led someone to hand over property or money, and a guilty finding can bring felony-level penalties along with restitution under state law.
What victims can do
Officials are urging anyone who thinks they were caught up in the situation to hang on to every scrap of paperwork: invoices, estimates, text or email exchanges, and bank or check records. Consumers are also being reminded to verify contractor licenses or credentials before agreeing to any work. The North Carolina Department of Justice maintains an online complaint portal and runs a toll-free consumer line at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM where people can report potential scams or turn over documentation to investigators…