Pocono News Section

State Files Suit Against Owners of A&B Fuel

State Files Suit Against Owners of A&B Fuel - Friday, January 18, 2008 at 1:00PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico
Friday, Jan 18, 2008 @01:00pm EST
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett has filed a lawsuit to temporarily freeze the assets of the owners of A&B Fuel.

Arthur and Beverly Baio of Gouldsboro, Wayne County serve as president and vice-president of Country Craftsman Builders, Inc which operated as A&B Plumbing, Heating and Fuel Oil based in Lackawanna County. Last month, the Baio's abruptly closed their business, leaving thousands of consumers without prepaid home heating oil and propane fuel.

Corbett says over the past year the defendants solicited consumers to purchase or sign contracts for heating oil and accepted pre-payment from customers, sometimes as much as $3,200 for fuel to be delivered at a later date. Corbett says his office has received over 700 complaints from consumers. Corbett also claims the defendants continued to market their home heating oil and propane gas and accepted payments when they knew they could not fulfill the requests.

The Baio's two corporations, Country Craftsman Builders, Inc, dealing with fuel oil and All County Petroleum Management, Inc., dealing with propane gas, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on December 31, 2007.

A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 9am in Wayne County Court of Common Pleas.

If you have suffered a loss, file a complaint with the Attorney General's office. Call 1-800-441-2555 or file an online complaint at