Paving company denies alleged scam

A paving company accused of scamming a St. Anthony woman has come forward.

Black Magic Paving, also known as West Coast Paving, contacted the Better Business Bureau after Local News 8 ran information from the BBB on the alleged scam Thursday.

The BBB said it had tried to contact Joe Mullins, the paving company CEO, but the business address was a Rexburg UPS office. Mullins was also not answering his cell phone.

The BBB also said Black Magic Paving was not properly registered in Idaho.

Apparently, Mullins had operated the business under West Coast Paving and Black Magic Paving in Arizona. When he moved to Idaho, he registered the business with the Bureau of Occupational Licenses and received a contractor’s number. He registered under West Coast Paving LLC.

“When we moved, we chose to consolidate under the Black Magic name,” Mullins said in a BBB news release.

However, he failed to register with the Idaho Secretary of State, the BBB said.

“The gal at the Bureau of Occupational Licenses said that was all we needed to operate our paving company,” Mullins said. “We thought we’d taken all the proper action necessary.”

It also didn’t notify the BBB it was operating in Idaho.

Since the story aired on Local News 8, Mullins has filed paperwork and paid for his business permit, provided the BBB with proof of a physical address in Idaho Falls, and said he would provide a full refund to the homeowner or fix the concerns, BBB said.

“I’m trying to run a clean business,” said Mullins. “I just want to do the right thing.”

The BBB Serving the Snake River Region said this demonstrates the power of self-regulation.