BMT Construction

I recently hired this contractor for a job and paid him a total of $2,400. I gave him half upfront, thinking it would help get things moving. After he finished part of the work, he asked me for the full payment, saying he needed it to buy parts. Trusting him, I went ahead and paid him, but he never came back to complete the job. For months, he gave me excuses about being sick, but I later found out from a friend who works at Lowe's that he was seen working there. Really frustrating! After I reported him to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), he called me, asking me to take down the complaint, saying it was hurting his ability to get more jobs. He even paid me $300 as a gesture, but he still owes me the rest of the money and hasn’t followed through on his promises to finish the work. Now, I’m feeling stuck and considering reporting him to other agencies because this whole experience has been so unprofessional!