SAN JACINTO COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A contractor accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from customers and then disappearing is now behind bars.
Rodney Wayne Blankenship, 57, was arrested Thursday morning at his business on Highway 190 in Livingston. He was booked into the San Jacinto County Jail on a charge of aggregate theft. His bond is set at $200,000.
Prosecutors say Blankenship collected nearly $175,000 from clients in the Lake Livingston area without completing the promised work. According to a criminal complaint, there are at least 12 victims dating back to 2023, though investigators believe the number could be higher.
“This is no different than someone going in and stealing someone’s guns, generator, or burglarizing their house,” said San Jacinto County First Assistant District Attorney Rob Freyer. “It’s theft with a smile, that’s what it is, and it needs to be stopped.”
Blankenship, who specialized in bulkhead construction, Freyer said, allegedly signed contracts, accepted large payments, and then failed to deliver. Court records show he offered clients excuse after excuse – ranging from bad weather and vehicle problems to hurricanes, family deaths, and even claims of cancer. One customer reported that Blankenship blamed rats chewing through wiring, a missing part, and an employee who had supposedly vanished and “is probably on drugs,” records say.
Carolyn and Richard Phillips said they paid Blankenship tens of thousands of dollars for a building in Polk County that was never constructed. “I think he should go to prison for a long time so he doesn’t keep doing this to people,” Carolyn Phillips said. “We have nothing good to say about him,” Richard Phillips added.
Online records show Blankenship has a prior criminal record, including theft and time in jail. Freyer is urging other potential victims to come forward and call investigator Corina Martinez at 936-653-4367 ext. 8.
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