Story broke by City Times last year leads to man’s arrest, sentencing

City Times Staff

Jason Napiwocki has been sentenced for leaving a Custer family in the cold- literally.

Napiwocki, 37, has been sentenced to three years’ probation and fined more than $65,000 for not completing his job on the Custer home of Jason and Miranda Grezenski, who live on Rolling Hills Road with their children. The couple last year told the City Times they hired Napiwocki in 2012 to remodel and expand their home.

Almost $50,000 later, the home remained unfinished and- in some spots- exposed to the elements. According to court documents, Napiwocki only spent about $5,000 on labor and materials for the family’s home.

Jason and Miranda Grezenski say they signed a contract with Napiwocki for the work but he continually asked for additional funds while only performing periodic work. Napiwocki eventually asked the family for a total nearly $80,000.

“There was already a whole bunch of stuff he hadn’t completed but he kept asking for more money,” Jason Grezenski said last March.

The Grezenski’s accuse Napiwocki of leaving unfinished walls and ceilings, half- completed lighting projects, visible and exposed insulation, gaps in the woodwork and uninstalled windows.

The Grezenski’s also say a lien had been placed on their home by a local lumber company over an order for construction material which Napiwocki never paid for.

When City Times staff spoke with Napiwocki to hear his version of the events last spring, Napiwocki only threatened legal action and refused to answer questions.

“You don’t know half of what’s going on here,” Napiwocki said.

Napiwocki pleaded no contest this week and was found guilty by Judge John V. Finn on charges including embezzlement, misappropriating buyer payments under a home improvement contract and misleading a buyer when signing documents.