Justice Department Sues Illinois Home Repair Firm and CEO for Deceptive Sales

CHICAGO, May 11, 2026 — The Department of Justice filed a civil complaint Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against B.E.S.T. GDR, LLC, which operates as Premium Home Service, and its CEO Yosef Bernath.

The complaint alleges the company and Bernath deceived consumers in the sale of home repair and improvement services, in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act and related federal and state laws. The Department of Justice brought the case on referral from the Federal Trade Commission, in conjunction with the Illinois Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

The FTC and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office conducted the underlying investigation.

The filing seeks to stop the company from continuing the alleged practices. Home repair and improvement services typically involve contracts for roofing, siding, windows, HVAC systems and foundation work sold directly to individual homeowners. The scope of affected consumers remains unspecified in the complaint, but the action targets sales practices that reached households in Illinois and potentially surrounding states through door-to-door, telephone or online solicitations.

The complaint changes the operational status of the company from unregulated operation to active defendant under federal court supervision. If the court grants the requested relief, Premium Home Service and Bernath must immediately cease the challenged sales and marketing practices. No compliance deadline is set until the court rules.

Downstream, the FTC gains authority to pursue civil penalties, restitution and permanent injunctive relief. The Illinois Attorney General can enforce parallel state consumer protection statutes, which may require the company to offer refunds or cancel existing contracts.

The case now shifts to discovery and motion practice in the Northern District of Illinois, where the court will determine whether to issue a preliminary injunction. Resolution will set precedent for how the FTC and state attorneys general pursue similar home-service fraud cases nationwide.

This marks the latest FTC referral to the Department of Justice for civil enforcement of consumer protection laws in the home improvement sector. The FTC has previously pursued actions against firms using deceptive financing claims or misrepresenting service quality in home repair contracts. Congress has separately considered legislation to strengthen penalties for door-to-door home repair fraud.