A dispute over the construction of an indoor gun range has led to a lawsuit seeking more than $600,000 in damages, with allegations that the contractor failed to complete the project and wrongfully retained client funds. The complaint was filed by Old School Iron Inc., represented by Tucker Ellis LLP, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on March 3, 2026. The defendants named include Gun Range Construction LLC, its owner Thomas Wirthlin, and several affiliated companies.
According to court documents, Old School Iron Inc. (OSI) entered into a written agreement with Gun Range Construction LLC (GRC) on April 20, 2023. Under this contract, GRC agreed to design, fabricate, and construct an indoor gun range at OSI’s property in Cleveland, Ohio. The total contract price was set at $637,167.00. OSI states it paid at least $507,166.10 toward the project based on GRC’s representations and contractual obligations.
The complaint alleges that despite receiving these payments, GRC did not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. OSI claims that GRC failed to complete the project in a timely manner or at all, performed defective work—including issues with installation of baffles, shooting stalls, target retrieval systems, ballistics rubber panels, and HVAC systems—and submitted improper or unsupported charges. OSI further alleges that GRC requested additional funds for unauthorized or excessive charges without providing supporting documentation.
The filing asserts that Thomas Wirthlin exercised control over GRC and related entities named as defendants—referred to collectively as “LLC Defendants”—and used them to obtain and retain funds belonging to OSI. OSI argues that Wirthlin should be held personally liable under alter ego and veil-piercing principles because he allegedly used these companies as “a mere shell and sham without sufficient capital” for his personal benefit.
The complaint details several legal claims: breach of contract against GRC; unjust enrichment against both GRC and Wirthlin; conversion (wrongful retention or use of funds); fraud (including alleged misrepresentations about costs, services performed, billing practices); civil theft under Ohio law; conspiracy among all defendants to deprive OSI of its rights; and fraudulent transfer (alleging that after receiving payments from OSI between May 2023 and January 2025, GRC or Wirthlin transferred those funds to other affiliated companies with intent to hinder or defraud creditors).
OSI claims it provided multiple opportunities for GRC to address construction defects or billing discrepancies but received no resolution. As a result of these alleged actions by the defendants—including what OSI describes as “willful and malicious theft” of property—the plaintiff reports suffering financial losses exceeding $600,000 due to repair costs for substandard work, overpayments without credits issued by GRC, delay damages related to use of their property being hindered or lost entirely.
As part of its prayer for relief from the court, OSI seeks compensatory damages above $600,000 plus interest and costs; avoidance (reversal) of any fraudulent transfers made between May 2023 and January 2025 totaling $507,166.10; injunctions preventing further disposition of such property; appointment of a receiver to take charge of any assets transferred between defendants deemed fraudulent; punitive damages; treble damages where permitted by law; attorney fees; expenses; court costs; and any further relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Attorneys Spencer E. Krebs and Danielle Easton from Tucker Ellis LLP are representing Old School Iron Inc. The case is identified as Case No. 1:26-cv-00519.
Source: 126cv00519_Old_School_Iron_Inc_v_Gun_Range_Construction_LLC_Complaint_Northern_District_Ohio.pdf
