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Flooring company owner under criminal investigation

Customers claim they were ripped off
Posted at 5:02 PM, Jun 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-15 18:26:47-04
When customers show up to Georgie's Flooring Outlet in Brooksville they see a sign reading ”Sorry out of business, filing personal and business chapter 7.”
 
Meanwhile the owner could be facing criminal charges related to a growing list of customers who feel they were ripped off.
 
John Siedel’s house is a wreck. Appliances are out on the front porch and his floors are bare.
 
He said he hired Georgie’s Flooring to put in new tile, paying the owner George Carr, $6,000.
 
But nothing was ever done.
 
“Every day I would call him. He would tell me that it would be the next day or the day after,” said Siedel.
 
Eventually, John realized there were lots more people in the same boat.
 
Many have been posting on a Facebook page called Georgie’s Flooring Rip-off.
 
“You just trusted the store. It’s a huge store. You would have never suspected a thing when you walk in there,” said Seidel.
 
Owner George Carr talked to us outside his home, saying he’s run a successful business in this area for 9 years, but things started falling apart after a disgruntled customer trashed him on social media.
 
“Straight up, I love all my customers, I love all the work that I did for all the years. I love that company to death. I did everything I can with my heart and soul,  but people are so mean and so cruel,” said Carr.
 
Carr said business started drying up so much he’s now declaring bankruptcy, although we’ve found no records that happened yet. 
 
We did find he filed personal bankruptcy before...17 years ago.
 
He said he hopes all the remaining assets at the store will be sold off and the 28 customers who lost deposits can get their money back.
 
“Do you think you will be charged with any crime?”
“Everything we put into the company was done legitimate wise. No playing games. We just tried to keep on going,” he answered.
 
Carr does have a criminal record. The most serious charge we found, a grand theft arrest in 2011.