Son charged with impersonating father’s pest control business

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The son of the owner of a Wichita Falls pest control business has been arrested and charged with embezzling, forgery, and other charges through impersonating the business after he was fired in August.

David Russell Shoop Jr. was booked on Wednesday on a charge of online impersonation.

He was also arrested on August 23, charged with trading his company truck in for a new personal truck after he was fired on August 19.

Shoop also faces a civil suit filed by the owner, David Shoop Sr., and also contempt of court orders filed after he allegedly failed to comply with orders in a temporary injunction to cease and desist impersonating Shoop Enterprises, and failed to show for a hearing.

A hearing is set for Friday afternoon, October 21, to show cause why he should not be found in contempt.

On September 9, an attorney for David Shoop Jr. filed an answer to the suit, denying all allegations and requesting all relief demanded by the plaintiff be denied, and that the suit be dismissed.

The criminal and civil charges allege Shoop stole business likenesses and altered and recreated Shoop’s webpage with a new phone number so users would be redirected to his own site, and that he represented himself as Shoop Enterprises and Shoop’s Texas Termite and Pest to customers.

Investigators spoke with customers who thought they were contacting Shoop Enterprises but were actually forwarded to David Shoop Jr.’s personal phone number.

One customer said after Shoop arrived to perform pest control she was called by someone posing as an employee of Shoop who could not provide a breakdown of what services were performed and demanded her bank information. She refused to provide the information and called Shoop Enterprises who said they had not performed the service.

Another customer who had used Shoop Enterprises services previously said two service people wearing Shoop uniform shirts arrived in a personal vehicle and sprayed her home. She became even more suspicious because of their unprofessional manner and personal questions about her family.

The customer learned her credit card payment went to Shoop’s Legacy, not Shoop Texas Termite (Shoop Enterprises).

David Shoop Jr. has convictions or arrests dating back to 1996 for terroristic threats, criminal mischief, evading arrest, theft, assault, and more.