ORLANDO, Fla. — The central Florida businessman who uses the online moniker Granite Gangster is now facing even more charges. We showed you last year Chuck Ogden was accused of contracting without a license. Action 9 has now learned he’s facing nine additional felony charges with three new victims.
Showing off cash and flashy cars on social media, Ogden encouraged people to work hard so they can make money like him.
In one of his TikTok videos he’s heard saying, “If you want it bad enough, look here, you can have it. There’s my wealth. There’s my success.”
But last year he was arrested and charged with contracting without a license after Port Orange homeowner Melanie Cain came forward complaining about “substandard and shoddy” work.
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Cain told Action 9 back then, “My home is unfinished. I have a child living here. I don’t have any plumbing in my kitchen. I have an unfinished master bathroom.”
She signed a contract through Ogden that listed the company name as East Coast Countertops & Remodeling. But after she paid more than $33,000, the City of Port Orange put a stop-work order on the project. Inspectors said parts of the job required a contractor’s license and permits which were never pulled.
Since then, Ogden has been hit with nine additional charges. The charges are three counts each of contracting without a license during an emergency, grand theft and organized scheme to defraud.
Pat Herlehy was one of the victims.
While showing the Action 9 team his home Herlehy said, “I don’t know if it’s going to burn my house down or not.”
Herlehy and his wife contacted Ogden when flood waters tore through their home during hurricane Ian. But police records show Ogden hired an unlicensed handyman to do electrical work and work crews used carpentry screws that pierced the wiring. Herlehy told Action 9 he knew the problems were serious when an electrical spark in the kitchen shocked his wife.
He said, “Enough spark came out that she bounced back and we shut the breaker off.”
Herlehy also pointed to some of his lights in the house that now flicker randomly. He’s concerned about a fire and other building problems another contractor told him need to be fixed.
He paid Ogden, $48,000 and records show $10,000 of that was FEMA money. Police say Ogden took $25,000 from another hurricane victim, but never did any work.
Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal showed up at his Holly Hill storefront to ask about it last year.
When someone peaked outside Deal said, “I’m Jeff Deal with Channel 9. Is Chuck here? We wanted to talk to him about his arrest and the allegations that he’s facing.” Then the door closed and no one would open up to talk.
Ogden later called and said his son owns that business and he was just working as a sales representative at the time. Ogden has entered “no contest” pleas to contracting without a license twice since 2019.
He even served prison time from 2002 to 2005 for selling cocaine.
While both Melanie Cain and Pat Herlehy say they can’t afford to pay anyone to finish their homes, Ogden is free to show off his stacks of cash and luxury cars.
Herlehy said, “Shady. It’s like how could you do that to somebody, you know? Already… we’re already vulnerable as it is because our houses were destroyed.”
He was arrested on the three most recent charges this week. Acton 9 contacted Ogden about some of the additional charges. In an email response, he wrote that he and his attorneys are working on an airtight defense and they are going to prove his innocence in all of this.
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