Jason Nathaniel Speier, 43, of Arden, North Carolina, was sentenced on July 23 to 135 months in prison and three years of supervised release for defrauding customers who purchased log cabin kits, according to U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to his prison term, Speier was ordered to pay $2,426,072.25 in restitution.
Speier pleaded guilty to wire fraud on October 25, 2025. Court documents show that between 2022 and 2023 he operated K.I. Enterprises, Inc., doing business as “Kabens,” an unlicensed company that claimed it could build European-sourced log cabin homes in Western North Carolina. According to court filings, Speier falsely represented his ability to provide turnkey residences and did not have a legitimate source for the advertised log cabin kits.
The filings indicate that Speier assured customers he had completed many cabins and could provide references and favorable reviews. He used online marketing and social media campaigns advertising “complete log cabin home packages” at “affordable prices,” with promises of “fast construction” and “unlimited customization.” To increase sales across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, he built a sales team directed to solicit new clients using these claims. The court found that down payments were falsely promised as being used for purchasing kits or completing timely construction.
Even after the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors began investigating following customer complaints, Speier continued his fraudulent activities by incorporating a new business called “Big Timber Log Homes.” Despite ongoing investigations and no successful project completions reported in court records, he continued soliciting customers.
At sentencing, one victim said their loss was just “a drop in the chum bucket of Jason Speier’s endless exploitation of others.” Authorities confirmed that Speier is currently in federal custody pending designation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case with assistance from the FBI as well as local sheriff’s offices. The office handles prosecutions of federal crimes and civil actions for the government; it employs nearly 100 federal prosecutors and staff; maintains facilities in Charlotte and Asheville; operates under the Department of Justice; covers half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park including Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians community; advances public safety through initiatives addressing elder abuse and substance abuse, according to its official website.