Manchester “Contractor” Josh Provost Cons Single Brookline Mom Out Of $15K, Blames Wife’s Postpartum Depression, Police Do Nothing

 

This is Joshua Provost from Manchester.

He is the registered owner of Provost Building and Remodeling LLC, which was created in March of 2022.

 

Last week a woman named Diane Dasilva posted about him in a Manchester Facebook group, warning the public not to hire him after he allegedly stole a $15K deposit for a project and never completed the work.

 

In began in April when she was closing on a new home in Brookline, NH and needed to add an upstairs bathroom so her two children could sleep up there without falling down the stairs in the middle of the night. She posted on a Facebook group called The Nashua Scoop, looking for a recommendation.

 

Josh Provost responded with his phone number so she called him and left a message. He responded via text and they began to talk.

 

He made it seem like he was a busy professional with “crews” that he would have to manage, and would have to fit her into his very busy schedule.

 

They finally met up in early May to look at the house with her realtor, which Josh said was difficult to do since he has a newborn baby. He gave her a quote in the $100K range, which was higher than other quotes she had gotten, but she needed the job done quickly and he was available.

 

 

He said that “as a man” his main priority wasn’t to “make a quick buck off of her,” but to do a good job and build a reputation as a reliable business owner.

 

Eventually he gave her a quote of $45K and sent a contract over for her to sign.

 

 

Provost told her that he needed 1/3 ($15K) up front, which is pretty standard. She got a bank check for him.

 

 

He asked her to cash it and give him cash so the job wouldn’t get delayed. He ended up sending her a hand written receipt, acknowledging that he received the cash payment after the two of them met at the bank on May 16.

 

But Josh had no intention of doing the work and was using her money to fuel his drug habit. For the next two months he gave her the runaround, avoided doing any work, and finally ended up blocking her completely. He frequently used the excuse of having a newborn baby, finishing other projects, and blaming his wife Hayley Provost (an RN) for having postpartum depression.

 

 

 

By May 29 Diane realized something wasn’t right and asked for the job to be put on hold. Her boyfriend was suspicious.

 

 

Josh attempted to talk his way out of it by telling a tall tale about how the bloated town government was giving him a hard time. By June 16 she realized what was happening and said she wanted her money back.

 

He never responded so she ripped into him with a bunch of angry messages. It wasn’t until she mentioned what a horrible father he is that he finally got back to her.

 

He continued to tell sob stories about his newborn baby and his “post pardom” wife, as if he’s the first working man to ever have a baby. He claimed that they were all so needy that it took him an hour to write out a text message, but he didn’t care that Diane also had 2 kids and he owed her $15K.

 

Diane called the Brookline Police Department who spoke with Josh on June 18, the last day she ever heard from him.

 

Josh accused Diane of contacting his and his wife’s family, which she did because she’s been relentless. His sister told Diane that their pastor Dad Gill had been trying to get him back on the right path after years of drug abuse.

I spoke with Diane and she’s clearly depressed and having a tough time with it.

“I’m devastated and I feel hopeless. I’m depressed and not my myself, my mental health has been ruined, and people who know me tell me often they don’t see the real me anymore. The happy, bubbly, always smiling nurse doesn’t exist anymore. I’m miserable. I’m a single mom of two small children and this miserable man has stolen a large sum of money from me. I feel that nobody is interested in helping me. I feel no support and the thought of never seeing my money again kills me everyday. I need help. Please help me recoup my money. This man deserves to be in jail. He owns a home. It’s not fair that while I’m struggling he gets to live as if he never stole from me or others.”

Diane is a nurse, so she tried to reach out to his wife Hayley, since she’s also a registered nurse in New Hampshire.

But instead of helping or apologizing for her deadbeat junkie husband, Hayley blocked Diane.

After that Diane tried to reach out to his father Gill Provost, since he’s a pastor.

 

You would think that a man of faith would be empathetic towards the victims of his prodigal son and apologize, or at least speak with her. Instead he blocked her like the coward and hypocrite that he is. Jesus hates you Gill.

Meanwhile, the Brookline Police have been useless, even though this is a clear cut case of larceny. Patrolmen Julian Dufrense left Josh a voicemail and told him to return the money.

 

But just like with Josh, Officer Dufrense had a newborn baby that prevented him from helping her out. He told her in an email on July 1 that he was passing on her information to an Officer Torrisi.

 

But she never heard from Officer Torrisi and continues to get the runaround from Brookline PD.

 

Days ago the business address for Josh Provost was put on the market, with the same phone number Josh used to communicate with Diane.

 

On July 7 the Manchester police were called to that same address to arrest Josh for criminal threatening, resisting arrest, and threatening bodily injury.  He was put on suicide watch and DCYF was contacted.

I attempted to reach out to Josh but that phone number is no longer in service.

According to the only other review of the company on Angie’s List, Josh also did this to another woman.

 

Diane Dasilva is a working class mother who was preyed upon by a drug addicted deadbeat, who is now being protected by his family members and a local police department that is just being lazy. If he’s selling his house then he’s probably trying to skip town. Diane has done all the legwork to hold him accountable but nobody seems to want to do their job. This is textbook larceny and there is no gray area. He owns property, so he has the money and the police should be threatening to charge him and his wife if they don’t pay back the money.

If anyone knows how to reach Hayley or Josh Provost feel free to email [email protected], or message Clarence Woods Emerson on Facebook.