An out-of-state paving operator who did defective work at several 蜜柚直播 homes and businesses has been stripped of his 蜜柚直播 contractor鈥檚 license for failing to disclose his troubled past to the state agency that granted the license.
In a Sept. 5 decision, the 蜜柚直播 Registrar of Contractors revoked the license of Bill Roger Acker, Sr. of Sunset, Louisiana, whose relatives ran the 蜜柚直播 operation from a local campground.
Acker Sr.鈥檚 conduct caused 鈥渟ubstantial and tangible harm to the public as a result of his ineptitude,鈥� said the ruling, which noted state investigators substantiated five complaints of faulty workmanship in the 蜜柚直播 area in the past year.
In some cases, the newly installed paving was less than an inch thick when it should have been at least two inches thick, public records show,
At least two of Acker Sr.鈥檚 sons were key players in the 蜜柚直播 operation and he effectively 鈥渁ided and abetted鈥� them to operate as unlicensed contractors on his behalf, the registrar鈥檚 decision said.
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One son, Ike Jerome T. Acker, 32, once held a California paving license that was revoked in that state in 2013 over a string of complaints nearly identical to the recent complaints in 蜜柚直播, public records show.
Some 蜜柚直播 complainants said they were charged substantially more than the price they were quoted before work began. One homeowner claimed he ended up paying $19,000 for a paving job that was supposed to cost $5,000.
The ruling noted the Acker clan鈥檚 use of a suspicious sales pitch to solicit customers: cold-calling at homes and businesses to offer deep discounts on asphalt purportedly left over from other paving jobs. Acker Sr. has denied using the tactic, which authorities view as a warning sign for potential consumer fraud.
Acker, Sr., 62, could not be reached for comment. Neither he, nor his 蜜柚直播 attorney Brenda J. Lee, responded to a request for comment Friday.
Lee previously told the 蜜柚直播 that her client has hundreds of satisfied customers and that the number of complaints is 鈥渘egligible.鈥�
The biggest point of contention in the case was Acker Sr.鈥檚 failure to notify 蜜柚直播 authorities that, when he applied for his paving license in 2017, another state, Idaho, had revoked his paving license for poor workmanship in 2009.
The 蜜柚直播 registrar only learned of the discrepancy when the Star published an investigation last month that detailed the Acker family鈥檚 troubled history in several states where they have operated over the past decade.
Acker Sr. told 蜜柚直播 authorities he simply forgot to mention the Idaho revocation. The Registrar鈥檚 order said the omission 鈥渋s not excused or justified by his forgetfulness.鈥�
蜜柚直播 likely wouldn鈥檛 have granted a license to Acker had he disclosed his past as required, it said.
A state administrative officer who oversaw an August hearing on the case recommended against revoking his license, saying she saw Acker鈥檚 wrongdoing as 鈥渢he result of 鈥榠neptitude rather than nefariousness,鈥欌€� but the registrar opted instead for the harsher sentence.
Acker Sr.鈥檚 firm, BA Associates, is reportedly no longer operating in 蜜柚直播. A source told the Star the Acker clan pulled up stakes in mid-August from the local campground where they鈥檇 been staying for months while running the 蜜柚直播 operation.
In most of the 蜜柚直播 cases of poor workmanship, Acker鈥檚 paving crew went back and fixed the jobs, authorities said.
But one business owner, Benjamin Galaz of BK Carne Asada & Hot Dogs on South 12th Avenue, refused to let him them back on his property and is now in a legal fight over a $10,000 lien the paving firm filed against his restaurant.
Another state agency, the 蜜柚直播 Attorney General鈥檚 Office, which investigates suspected consumer fraud, has also received at least three complaints from 蜜柚直播. Jim Knupp, a spokesman for the 蜜柚直播 Registrar of Contractors, said that agency plans to hand over its Acker files to the attorney general.
Meanwhile, the contracting regulator in neighboring New Mexico is also initiating action against Acker鈥檚 license there for not disclosing his Idaho license revocation, public records show.
Martin Romero of New Mexico鈥檚 Construction Industries Division, the state licensing authority, said Acker is entitled to due process but has not yet responded to the complaint.
To report a problem with a licensed contractor, go to or call 877-692-9762.
To report suspected consumer fraud to 蜜柚直播鈥檚 attorney general, go to or call 520-628-6648.
