COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Colorado Springs firefighter Jared Whiteman is on administrative leave as he's facing theft charges.
The El Paso County Sherriff's Office has been investigating Fortified Solutions (FS), a contracting company run by Jared Whiteman, a Colorado Springs firefighter on administrative leave.
Fortified solutions came under investigation after Jon and Paula Jensen contacted El Paso County Sheriff's Office and brought a contractor fraud complaint against Fortified Solutions Management.
The Jensens hired Fortified Solutions in the spring of 2020 to build them a home amounting to a payment of $177,744.75 for the completion of the project, according to an affidavit.
The Jensens brought the case forward as there was little work towards completion of the project, and later received liens placed against their property for the unpaid work and labor, despite having paid the contractor Fortified Solutions. Fortified Solutions specializes in "bardominium-style" structures for commercial and residential use.
It should be noted that the Jensens were not alone, according to Detective Marissa Williams who is assigned to the case explained, "The total theft amount for which I believe Jared and Jamy Whiteman are responsible for the six victim families is $197,690.45."
The theft amount has been calculated based on a review of the customer's contracts, payments, and copies of invoices.
According to the investigator, Whiteman would use his background as a public figure and former emergency responder to put an extra layer of trust between Whiteman and his clients, as explained by former employee Mark Riley.
Riley stated, "Whiteman would flaunt" off his former role as a Colorado Springs Firefighter, and Riley's background as a former Police Officer, which Riley found not right.
Whiteman is accused of stealing from clients by not producing results and then coming back with another estimate for the initial contract. In one case, Jason Murphy another Fortified Solutions client fired the company after Whiteman came back with a $60,00-80,000 change order for a poor estimate on his original job.
According to the affidavit, this was a reoccurring pattern for Whiteman and Fortified Solutions, as multiple times Whiteman would tell clients to find new contractors when refusing the updated contract agreements.
Whiteman was charged with theft and turned himself in at the El Paso County Jail on June 28.
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