ELMHURST, Ill. (CBS) — A couple of months ago, a former employee of a roofing company contacted CBS News Chicago with a complaint.
CBS News Chicago began an investigation, and discovered a massive multi-state operation that has left homeowners out of tens of thousands of dollars each in many cases. Customers said contractors from the company, Orange Elephant Roofing & Solar, seemed simply to disappear into thin air.
Kirby Reese got $25,725.34 in insurance money to fix the roof of her southwest suburban home after storm damage this past spring. She hired Orange Elephant—a company with a website that shows they do work in six cities across the country, including the Chicago area.
The Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma markets also appear on the Orange Elephant website.
Where did Reese’s nearly $26,000 go?
“I guess that’s the question,” Reese said. “I have no idea.”