Direct Exteriors Bank Fraud Crystal, Minnesota

I am the President & CEO of a community bank in MN. After reading several stories of homeowners being swindled by Michael McAlpin and his former company Direct Exteriors I thought I would add our Bank's story. Mr. McAlpin approached our Bank in 2009 (before I was with the Bank) to do buy an existing commercial property and do a complete rehab to make it into a two story office building. The company appeared solid on paper so the Bank went ahead with the deal. After work commenced on the building Mr. McAlpin began making significant changes to the original plans and claimed some of the items originally slated to be handled by a subcontractor would now be handled by Direct Exteriors personally. After work slowed tremendously at the property Mr. McAlpin asked that the final draw amounts be released so he could finish work on the property. After smooth talking one of the Bank's Commercial Lenders (who is no longer with the Bank) and submitting fraudulent documents stating work had been completed, when it hadn't, the Lender eventually agreed to release the money to McAlpin.

After the fact it was determined that not only had none of the work McAlpin claimed had been completed was finished. Mr. McAlpin made off with over $100,000 cash on the last payment he was able to get the Bank's Lender to release. When the Bank got the building back it was discovered that items were missing from the building. Two commercial furnaces that had been installed were now removed and were no where to be found. Other materials that were said to have been purchased were as well missing. When we filed a police report against Mr. McAlpin he admitted to selling items out of the building. The FBI was contacted to prosecute Mr. McAlpin for Bank Fraud but we were told that the US Attorney Generals Office was not handling any cases that resulted in less than a $500,000 loss. We are now looking to prosecute Mr. McAlpin through local law enforcement channels.

My only hope is by writing this that others will come together and hopefully we can get a class action suit against Mr. McAlpin and his associates and send this guy to jail where he belongs.