A home improvement contractor and six associated companies will pay $200,000 and permanently shut down as part of a proposed settlement resolving a state lawsuit.
The agreement resolves a lawsuit filed in April 2023 by then-Attorney General Michelle Henry against contractor Murillo Sousa and his companies that worked in the Philadelphia area.
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Under the terms of the deal, Sousa must pay the $200,000 penalty, dissolve his businesses, and cease all ownership and operations of home improvement ventures in Pennsylvania.
Sousa and anyone acting on his behalf are permanently barred from seeking contractor registration in the state, officials said.
Sousa and his businesses accepted substantial payments from several Philadelphia-area clients, then failed to perform the agreed-upon work, abandoned projects prior to completion, or produced unworkmanlike results, according to the attorney general’s office.
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In one case highlighted in the lawsuit, a consumer paid nearly $40,000 for a renovation project. According to court filings, Sousa failed to secure required construction permits, violated building codes, improperly installed windows and a door frame, punctured a gas line, created a roof leak that caused water damage, and abandoned the job unfinished.
“Pennsylvania consumers deserve contractors who keep their promises, not ones that take thousands of dollars and leave families with unfinished or unsafe homes,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “This settlement permanently prohibits Murillo Sousa from owning and operating a home improvement business in Pennsylvania while creating an opportunity for additional eligible victims to seek restitution.”
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According to the lawsuit, Sousa operated under multiple aliases, including Mark Sousa, Murillo Costa, Murillo Da Costa, Murillo Sousa Dacosta, Murillo Da Costa Sousa, and Max Contractors Inc.
The state said that Sousa’s business entities must immediately dissolve and cease operations. The affected companies are Max Contractors Inc., MPS Home Improvement LLC, Skyline Contractor Imperium LLC, Clean Future General Construction LLC, LMN General Construction LLC, and Easy Way Construction Limited Liability Company.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration previously alleged that Max Contractors exposed workers to fall hazards while working on a jobsite in Philadelphia. The agency said the company had been cited in 2021 for “serious violations.”
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Officials are advising any consumers who believe they were impacted and have not yet contacted authorities to file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection within 60 days. Submissions can be made online, by phone at 1-800-441-2555, or by email at scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
The case was litigated by the Pennsylvania Attorney General Office’s Bureau of Consumer Protection in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, the settlement remains subject to a judge’s approval.
