Asheville Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Log Cabin Kit Scheme

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Jason Nathaniel Speier, 43, of Arden, N.C., was sentenced today to 135 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a scheme to defraud customers who purchased log cabin kits, announced U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Speier was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,426,072.25.

Speier pleaded guilty to wire fraud on October 25, 2025. During the scheme Speier defrauded at least 24 customers and received more than $2.5 million in customer payments.

According to court documents, from 2022 through 2023, Speier was the owner and president of K.I. Enterprises, Inc., doing business as "Kabens," an unlicensed company that claimed to build log cabin homes in Western North Carolina. Court filings show that Speier executed a scheme to defraud customers by falsely representing that his business was capable of building European-sourced log cabin kits into turnkey residences. Contrary to those claims, Speier did not have a legitimate source of supply for the purported log cabin kits.

Court records show that Speier falsely assured customers that he had built many cabins for satisfied customers and that he could provide references and favorable reviews. To solicit new clients, Speier developed an extensive online marketing and social media presence, advertising "complete log cabin home packages" at "affordable prices." His advertisements also falsely promised "fast construction" and "unlimited customization." To boost sales, Speier built a sales team and directed them to make numerous sales to customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. He also falsely claimed that customers' down payments would be used to purchase log cabin kits and complete construction in a timely manner.

According to court filings, Speier continued his fraudulent conduct even after the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors launched an investigation following multiple customer complaints. Despite the investigation, Speier incorporated a new business called "Big Timber Log Homes" and continued soliciting new customers to build turnkey cabins, even though Speier had not successfully completed a single project.

At today's sentencing hearing, one of Speier's victims stated in court that their loss was just "a drop in the chum bucket of Jason Speier's endless exploitation of others."

Speier is in federal custody. He will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.

In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI, the Haywood County Sheriff's Office and the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office for their work on this case.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Asheville was in charge of the prosecution.