Streator Man Outraged Someone Stole His Stolen Work
STREATOR — In a plot twist so rich it could grease a Butch’s pizza, local handyman and part-time police customer Brad Kauth took to Facebook this week to accuse others of stealing his work—specifically, his photos of various DIY disasters dressed up as home improvement.
Kauth, whose reputation in town ranges from “he helped my cousin once” to “he stole my catalytic converter and charged me for labor,” boldly posted a lengthy status about “low-life thieves” using pictures of his “projects” to promote their own pages.
“Can’t believe people would stoop this low,” Kauth wrote beneath a blurry photo of a crooked porch roof seemingly held together by painter’s tape and hope. “If you didn’t build it, don’t claim it. This is MY work and MY picture.”
The irony, of course, is not lost on the dozens of community members who have filed complaints, posted warnings, or flat-out called the police after hiring Brad for “odd jobs” that turned out odder than expected—and cost more than just a few bucks.
“Is this the same guy who installed my gutters backwards and then took my lawnmower?” commented one former client beneath the post. “Asking for my neighbor, who still hasn’t found her fridge.”
The Streator Police Department declined to comment on specific individuals, but confirmed that “tool-related disputes” and “disappearing appliances” involving unlicensed contractors are “ongoing concerns.”
Kauth, meanwhile, doubled down in the comments, stating, “People want to bash me but I got pictures to prove what I can do.” He did not address where the tools in those pictures came from or why the drywall appears to be painted over insulation.
In Streator, where the line between hustle and headache can be a blurry one, residents are advised to thoroughly vet contractors—especially ones who spend more time posting than plastering.
As for the alleged photo theft? It remains unsolved. But as one Facebook user noted: “Why would anyone steal a photo of that work? It looks like something I’d see in a cautionary video at Lowe’s.”
More to come, especially if Brad finds out someone screenshot his post.
