Couple says contractors burglarized their home

PINEVILLE – A Wyoming County couple is suing over claims their home was burglarized by construction workers.

Russell and Pamela McCoy filed a lawsuit Oct. 2 in Wyoming Circuit Court against Creative Exteriors, Robert Nathaniel Bowles, Brian Nowajewski, Amanda Renee Bowles, Larry Allen Bowles and John Doe, citing negligence and burglary.

According to the complaint, on Dec. 12, 2013, Pamela McCoy contracted Creative Exteriors to perform $3,000 worth of home improvement construction on their dwelling. And, after a $979 down payment, Creative Exterior employee Robert N. Bowles and a coworker began work.

The McCoys say on Jan. 8, 2014, an emergency required them to leave town and they requested work be stopped until a later time, as they did not want Creative Exterior employees at their home when they were not present.

The lawsuit states that while they were gone, Bowles used his knowledge of the home and its contents to conspire with Brian Nowajewski and an unnamed individual to burglarize the home of collectible items, guns, a laptop computer and other valuable items such as jewelry.

The plaintiffs say Amanda and Larry Bowles are thought, at the very least, to have "bought" the stolen items and pawned them. Creative Exteriors is accused of negligent hiring in failure to background check its employees or warn the plaintiffs of workers' criminal backgrounds.

The McCoys seek punitive and general damages, interests and attorney fees.

They are represented by attorney Timothy P. Lupardus of Pineville. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Warren R. McGraw.

Wyoming Circuit Court case number: 14-C-160