Attorney General Ellison wins $2.6 million judgment against home contractor who defrauded Minnesotans
Court orders Earl Christian Rode, IV and his company to refund $1.3 million to victims and pay a $1.3 million civil penalty to the State
Court permanently bans Rode and his company from the residential construction industry in Minnesota
January 28, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Keith Ellison today announced that he obtained a judgment against home renovation contractor Earl Christian Rode, IV and his company, High Road Builders, LLC, for running a fraudulent home renovation and construction scheme across the state. The judgment permanently bans Rode and his company from the residential construction industry in Minnesota. It also requires them to pay $1.3 million in restitution to their victims, $1.3 million in civil penalties to the State, and the State’s attorney’s fees and costs.
“I am committed to fighting fraud wherever I find it, including cases when bogus contractors like Rode take money for jobs they have no intention of completing,” said Attorney General Ellison. “I’m pleased to have put a stop to Rode’s scheme and won a multi-million dollar judgment that will pay back the people he stole from. I want to thank the families impacted for coming forward with their stories. They made this result possible. If you’ve been scammed by a contractor, don’t be ashamed and don’t be silent. My office and I will continue to make sure unscrupulous companies pay the price for their deception.”
Attorney General Ellison sued Rode and High Road Builders in October 2025 for deceiving customers into hiring them for expensive home renovation projects, paying tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars towards projects that never happened. Rode, who has already been banned by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry from claiming to be a licensed contractor, falsely told potential customers he was a licensed contractor anyway. He even told some customers he was working for legitimate third-party contractors who he had no connection to, falsely claiming that their genuine licenses were his own. To try and get more payments out of customers, Rode would sometimes give them false progress updates—sometimes even forging fake invoices from genuine third-party suppliers to claim non-existent orders had been placed.
Eventually, Rode would either perform basic demolition in his customers’ homes or else perform no work at all. After that, he simply disappeared with their money. Some customers were able to reach Rode and secure a promise of a refund, which Rode then reneged on. In the end, Rode scammed ten Minnesota families out of $1.3 million.
Tips for consumers
Attorney General Ellison encourages Minnesotans who are interested in home renovation, remodeling, or construction projects to check online for information about specific contractors and companies, get information from contractors in writing, and carefully review all documents before signing. For more information about selecting a contractor, tips on avoiding home improvement scams, and your rights when contracting for home improvement work, visit the Office’s online publication titled Home Building and Remodeling.
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry licenses residential building contractors in Minnesota. Not all “contractors” are required to have a state license. For example, specialty contractors who provide only one specialty skill (except residential roofers) are not required to be licensed. The Department has a license look up tool on its website, www.dli.mn.gov, which consumers can use to verify a contractor’s status.
Hiring a licensed contractor doesn’t guarantee something won’t go wrong, but it provides certain safeguards if something does. For example, licensed contractors must have liability and property damage insurance. Hiring a licensed contractor also gives consumers access to the Contractor Recovery Fund, which is administered by the Department of Labor and Industry. The Contractor Recovery Fund is meant to be a safety net for Minnesota consumers who have lost money due to a licensed contractor’s fraudulent, deceptive, or dishonest practices, conversion of funds, or failure to perform. When consumers obtain final judgments against a licensed contractor in these situations but are unable to collect on the judgment from the contractor, consumers can have up to $75,000 of the judgment paid by the Contractor Recovery Fund. Additional information about the Contractor Recovery Fund, selecting a contractor, soliciting bids, and more can be found in the Department’s publication titled Consumer’s Guide to Hiring a Residential Building Contractor.
Attorney General Ellison asks Minnesota consumers to report problems and concerns about a contractor by submitting a complaint online or by calling the Attorney General’s Office at (651) 296-3353 (Metro area), 1-800-657-3787 (Greater Minnesota), or 1-800-627-3529 (Minnesota Relay).
