Bad builder turned author can't write himself happy ending
(FOX 2) - Say hi to Temo Sessions.
Temo's a guy on the run dodging the customers who say he ripped them off in his garage construction business.
Temo uses every trick in the book and speaking of books, I've got a feeling I know what Temo's done with his customers.money.
It turns out Temo Session has launched a literary career and just self published his own adventure novel you might say Temo is the John Grisham of garages, the Ernest Hemingway of home improvement. A real 'Edgar Allen Schmoe.'
This is Kevin and his wife Amy.
"It was one excuse after another," Kevin said.
"He just cheats you. tell lie you know," Amy said.
They run an internet sales business out of their new home in Canton. Their three-car garage is stuffed with merchandise, so they hired Temo Sessions of Garages R Us to build them a detached warehouse garage out back.
They put down a sizable down payment late last year. Temo said he could build the garage over the winter!
"He told something too good to be true," Amy said.
That didn't happen, but in spring Temo's crew started, but things weren't going too well. The walls he put up were sagging, but work was slowly getting done. And as each step was finisehd, Temo wanted money for the next step. By June, Kevin and Amy had given Temo $60,000 and this was as far as the project got.
Then, on June 22, "He sent me a text we closed our doors, again," Kevin said. "And that was it."
Kevin texted back: "We will see you in court."
Temo replied "I figured as much but before I go wasting your time, I have nothing. No house, no properties, no savings." What a guy.
Then, a week later, the roof trusses Temo put up all fell down. they hired another company to finish the project.
"So painful. so I don't want him hurt other people again," Amy said.
And hurting other people is exactly what Temo was doing. He wasn't out of business, he was working on getting more money out of Robert.
Wolchek: "What do you think I should say to this Temo when I go talk to him?"
"You a scumbag dude," Robert said.
Robert's detached garage burned down. Robert is a trucker on temporary disability. He hired Temo because he said he was honest, he told Robert "I'm not one of those Rob Wolchek Hall of Shame builders."
Robert paid Temo more than $5,000 to get the job started. His crews came in and crashed into Robert's awning, cracked Robert's cement driveway but did build a partial garage. Then Robert gave him another $5,000 to put in a cement floor, a garage door and a firewall. Then Temo stopped taking Robert's calls.
Bill and Tondra hired Garages R Us in May of 2018.
"I wouldn't hear from him and then, a guy would show up and work for two hours and then leave. And this went on for a year," Bill said.
They paid Temo more than $50,000. Their garage looks good now because they've paid thousands to other contractors to fix what Temo did wrong.
"Everything they did we had to correct," said Tondra. "We had to call a guy out to install the garage door, because the garage door wasn't even put in properly."
Wolchek: "So Garages R Us doesn't even know how to install a garage door?"
"Yes," she said.
But the saddest victim of all is Judith.
Wolchek: "Your backyard is a disaster zone."
"It is," Judith said.
Wolchek: "And you have how many kids?"
"Five," she said.
Wolchek: "Five little kids and they have to play back here?"
(shrugs)
Judith also had a garage fire. Her insurance paid out $15,000. She paid Temo more than $10,000 of it. His crew came in last winter and tore down the wreckage and left a tremendous mess.
Her cute little kids and little dogs have to maneuver through a battlefield of debris. She's been texting Temo for months and he keeps making excuses.
"Nothing March, April, May, June," she said.
On July 1st, Judith texted "Hi Timo. Please tell me that you guys are starting today."
Temo says "Did we get inspection passed? We need green sticker for compaction."
Judith said "There is one at my door. It's been there for ten days."
Doesn't matter to Temo. He doesn't care about Judith or her kids.
"I called him. Then I called him again - and that's when he stopped answering," Judith said.
I found out, Temo doesn't have time to build garages - he's busy building a new career as a romantic, adventure novelist.
On July 31st, while Robert is watching the grass grow in his garage, and Amy, Kevin, Tandra and Bill are paying other contractors to finish Temo's jobs (and poor Judith's kids are dodging bricks and glass), Temo published his first novel, 'Con Pollo Loco.'
And he's even got a new exotic sounding author name - Temi Fabiano. Here's the real page turner - the pages of Temo's rap sheet.
Artemio Fabiano Sessions (his real name) started out with convictions for fraud charges in Florida, uttering a forged instrument, check fraud, forgery and continued in Michigan with a bunch of DUIs and even felony domestic violence and felonious assault.
In 2007 he was convicted as a habitual offender. And in 2011 he got another drunk driving.
In July of this year, the same month he was ignoring his customers and publishing his book he got booked in the Oakland County Jail, convicted for driving with no license and being a disorderly person.
He's out now, awaiting his sentencing.
Wolchek: "Hey Temo. It's Rob Wolchek from FOX 2. It's Rob from FOX 2. I gotta ask you about your garage business. Temo, open up. I gotta ask you about your garage business."
"It's out of business," he said.
Wolchek: "I got a bunch of customers who said you took their money and you disappeared."
"I didn't," he said.
Wolchek: "Oh sure you did. Kevin and Judith. What about Judith, that nice lady from Westland. Hey Temo. Stop for a second and talk to me. Talk to me for a second here."
And with that, the guy with no valid driver's license drives off - from the garage supply store - even though he says he's out of the garage business.
Temo or should I say Temi Fabiano, author, it's time to close the book on you. You're in the Hhhhhhall of Shame!!!"