Tri-State contractor sentenced to 24 years in prison speaks to 14 News

61-year-old James Galloway was sentenced to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to several felony counts of home improvement fraud.

Officials say Galloway stole nearly $120,000 from clients and he says the theft was fueled by his addiction to gambling.

Galloway says between 2005 and 2011 he completed 250 jobs, but he claims that his absence from job sites was a result of an arrest in 2011.

Officials claim Galloway was targeting the elderly, and he admits the majority of his clients were elderly, but not because he was targeting them.

He says 24 years is too excessive. If he gets out, Galloway says he wants to use a part-time job and social security to pay back the clients he stole from.

"Well, I believe in justice, believe in a sense of fair play, also believe they should take all the circumstances under consideration. I can sit here offering no excuses, anything that's happened. Mr. Hebler, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Hum, Mr. Swingel, and all the other 13-15 people I had scheduled to still do, later that year, I never got the opportunity. I would definitely, 100% would like to apologize to all those folks," Galloway says.

Throughout our interview today, Galloway maintained that he did not intentionally "scam" his clients and says he was a victim of his addiction.

Galloway says he is still facing charges in Gibson County.