Southampton Council member James Malone allegedly locked a contractor in his office and subjected him to a expletive-laden rant, after the contractor requested payment for the construction work he had done on Malone’s Hampton Bays home, the New York Post reported.

The saga started when 23-year-old contractor Anthony Prosano was commissioned in November to complete a $50,000 interior renovation of Malone’s home on Anderson Street. Prosano had completed about $10,000 of the work when, shortly after Thanksgiving, Malone allegedly locked away his tools and ignored requests for compensation. Malone told Prosano he was unhappy with the insulation and Sheetrock work he had done and wasn’t going to pay him.

Prosano filed a police report against Malone and a lien requesting $7,971.52 in damages. He also confronted the politician at his office Dec. 15 to request payment, whereupon Malone locked the door and began berating the contractor, the Post said. “You are f–king playing in a pool you don’t belong in!” Malone reportedly said, in a conversation that, unbeknownst to the politician, was partly recorded by Prosano.

“I’m a nobody, and this guy just took advantage of me,” Prosano said. “He thought there was nothing I could do.”