Moody, Prime in trouble again

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By JESSIE HORTON
TheFlashToday.com NEWS & SPORTS – FREE & LOCAL

STEPHENVILLE (July 3, 2015) — Remember Jerry Moody? Some local businesses do. Moody and his company, Prime Construction, were awarded the contract to build the new Stephenville Fire Station No. 2 in 2013 by the City of Stephenville. Moody hired area contractors to do most of the work.

As the opening date drew near and the fire department moved into the station in November 2013, rumors swirled of how those local contractors weren’t getting paid. However, the City of Stephenville and the city manager at the time, Mark Kiaser, acquired sworn statements from Moody that everyone was getting paid for their work and materials provided. With those statements, the city sent final payment to Moody. With that payment in hand, he disappeared back to Arlington while the City of Stephenville and local businesses worked to solve the problem.

At least five area contractors including City Electric and Memco Lawn & Agricultural, which is partially owned by Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller, had yet to see any of their payments from Moody. According to city officials, the job itself was bonded, or insured, and everyone who did they work was paid by the bonding company. However, that company and several others have now said they will not bond Prime Construction again.

Jerry Moody
Jerry Moody

Stephenville Fire Station wasn’t the only project Moody and his company took advantage of. According to records from the city of Fort Worth, Moody and Prime Construction were awarded a contract to build a Fort Worth community center that was never finished.

While city officials in Fort Worth are still investigating the best course of action, Erath County officials have indicted Moody for his hand in the fire station debacle. Moody, 49, was indicted in October 2014 by an Erath County Grand Jury on four counts of making a false statement to obtain property or credit. Two of those charges were second degree felonies, one a fist degree felony and the other a state jail felony.

Current Stephenville City Administrator Pat Bridges said on Thursday he could not comment due to pending litigation and the ongoing investigation of Prime and Moody, who is now employed by DFW-based Mega Construction, owned by relatives of Moody.

However, both city and county officials are quick to point out Moody’s Prime Construction was based in Arlington and is no longer in business. This is in no way affiliated with Prime Building Components in Dublin.

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