A High Ridge roofing contractor has been accused of defrauding at least 16 customers throughout Jefferson County. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office investigated the alleged fraud that occurred between March 2025 and March 2026 and cost customers more than $130,000, court records show.
Jacob D. Kaestner, 43, who owned and operated JK Exteriors, on May 21 was charged with 16 felony counts of deceptive business practice and seven felony counts of financial exploitation of an elder or disabled person. The state Attorney General’s Office filed the charges in Jefferson County Circuit Court, according to court documents.
Phone calls to a number associated with the business would not go through. An email to a lawyer representing Kaestner was not immediately replied to on Tuesday, May 26.
According to the case’s probable-cause statement filed by an Attorney General’s Office investigator, Kaestner required customers to make down payments before performing roof, gutter, siding and fence repairs. However, Kaestner and his company failed to complete most or any of the work and did not order materials for the repair projects to be completed.
The Attorney General’s Office reported 16 customers lost at least $131,885.91. The report also said seven of the customers were 60 years old or older.
In one case, Kaestner received a down payment of $29,500, but the customer allegedly received less than half of roof replacement and no other exterior repairs were performed. The customer was not refunded $25,674.72 for the incomplete work, the report said.
Another customer, who is older than 60, allegedly lost $18,237.25 when Kaestner allegedly failed to provide materials or complete any repairs for a job that had a total contract price of $20,192.25, according to the report.
According to a warrant issued for Kaestner, he has been a defendant in other civil lawsuits in Jefferson and St. Louis counties and St. Louis for breach of contract. The request said Kaestner also defrauded consumers in Franklin and St. Charles counties.
The Attorney General’s Office requested Kaestner’s bond to be set at $50,000, the warrant said.