POUGHKEEPSIE - The New York State Attorney General’s office has filed legal action seeking a contempt order against a Red Hook home improvement contractor who recently resumed doing business despite a previous court ruling barring him from the industry.

Contractor Robert Brown, 65, faces a potential fine and/or jail time if found in contempt of the prior court ruling.

“This individual’s notorious history of selling promises to homeowners and then not delivering on them underscores the need to bring further penalties against him,” said Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. “As part of an ongoing effort to crack down on unscrupulous home improvement contractors, I am holding this individual accountable to the original ruling against him to ensure that no more homeowners are victimized.”

The Attorney General’s Office sued Brown in 2006 for repeatedly defrauding customers by taking advance payments for plumbing and basement waterproofing jobs, and performing shoddy work or no work at all. In that case, Dutchess County State Supreme Court Justice James Brands issued a permanent order barring Brown from operating a home improvement business unless he obtained a $100,000 performance bond and paid full restitution to customers - of which Brown has done neither.

According to the judgment in that case, Brown ignored customers’ complaints, failed to provide refunds and refused to pay small claims judgments against him, resulting in approximately $35,000 lost to ten consumers.

More recently, an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office discovered Brown had contracted to do a residential basement waterproofing job in violation of the judge’s order. The Attorney General’s Office has filed court papers seeking Brown be held in contempt of court for continuing to operate his home improvement business.

Should Brown be found in contempt of Justice Brands’ order, he faces a potential $5,000 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail.