Troubled Contractor Shuttering Construction Company

Troubled contractor Jonathan Grant Wise said he’s shutting down his construction company, Wise Custom Inc., following his Oct. 9 arrest on a misdemeanor hot check and defrocking by the Arkansas Contractor’s Licensing Board on grounds of misconduct.

That’s probably a wise move for the 23 year old from Rogers. 

In addition to a Nov. 6 court date on the hot check, Wise faces a claim from a subcontractor who says he did more than $18,000 worth of work for Wise but was never paid. Two other claimants say they paid a total of $5,800 in advance for work that was never done.

While Wise admits that things got messy and that “we want to get our problems resolved,” he denies the largest claim against him.

“We owe no one $18,000,” he said. “Maybe $1,800.”

When news first broke of Wise’s arrest, one of Wise’s partners in Wise Custom Realty, David Thornton, said, “He has not been and will not be part of the day-to-day operation of the realty company.”

Whispers heard otherwise.

A source said: “He is and has always been involved in the day-to-day of Wise Custom Realty. He has been travelling all over working to open WCR offices in cities around the country and is doing all the legwork.”

A warrant for Wise’s arrest was issued by Washington County on Sept. 23, and on Oct. 9, he was apprehended in Springdale, transported to the Washington County Detention Center and bonded out in less than two hours. In a phone interview Oct. 16, Wise said, “I’m not exactly sure what check it is” that got him thrown in jail.

It would be wise to find out.