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An Acton pool and patio contractor has been banned from owning, running or helping lead a construction company in Massachusetts following a settlement with Attorney General Maura Healey’s office.

Richard Capachione also faces a $150,000 fine to settle allegations he scammed dozens of homeowners and violated state consumer protection laws and the Home Improvement Contractor Act.

Healey’s office sued Capachione, claiming that his three companies – New England Hardscapes, Inc., Aqua Outdoor Environments, and R and R Consulting, LLC – collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in deposits and installment payments for pool and patio projects that were either never started or abandoned partway through construction, leaving several properties “damaged and in dangerous and unsanitary conditions,” Healey’s office said.

A statement from the attorney general’s office announcing the settlement said the investigation began in 2019 after receiving complaints from consumers. Capachione also allegedly left legally-required items off his contracts with customers, like his contractor’s registration number, a detailed description of the work to be done and the date when the project was scheduled to begin and substantially completed.

“Remodeling a home can be a massive, expensive effort, and it is devastating when properties are left in worse condition than they started, with money spent on unfinished work,” Healey said in a statement. “This settlement returns thousands of dollars to Massachusetts homeowners who were taken advantage of by this contractor’s deceptive practices.”