An Anchorage motor home rental business closed abruptly Friday, leaving hundreds of visitors out thousands of dollars and scrambling for replacements at the peak of Alaska’s summer tourism season.

The shutdown came a day after the state filed a civil lawsuit accusing the business, Alaska Motor Home Inc., of deceptive practices.

The state claims the company illegally charged customers for deposits before they picked up RVs, overcharged for taxes, and forged at least one customer’s signature, according to a complaint filed Thursday in Anchorage Superior Court.

The complaint names owner Peter Harkovitch and his son, Cole Harkovitch, as defendants along with the business.

The company decided to close without intending to refund customers, yet was still accepting reservations and payments through July, the complaint said.

An Alaska Department of Law spokesman said officials believe there are hundreds of victims in the case, given the company’s anticipated fleet of 60 motor homes this summer.

Other RV companies in Anchorage this week reported a deluge of calls from visitors looking for last-minute rentals. Great Alaskan Holidays received about a hundred inquiries from Alaska Motor Home customers, according to marketing director Bob Johnson.

“It started yesterday morning as soon as we opened, and it has only probably within the last hour began to settle down,” Johnson said Friday afternoon, adding all requests have been accommodated.

At Alaska Motor Home’s offices in South Anchorage on West 64th Avenue near C Street on Friday, two longtime employees expressed sadness over the sudden closing. One cleaned RVs still being returned by customers — the employees said they expected more to be returned through the month — while another said he was shuttling customers to cruise ships or the airport to catch flights home to the Lower 48.

Cole Harkovitch removed his name from the business in May, leaving his father as the sole officer, according to a state corporations database. Cole Harkovitch declined to comment when contacted by the Daily News at the business Friday, saying that “we’re still trying to hash things out. I’m just one of the people caught in the crossfire.”

In a letter to the state Department of Law Wednesday, an attorney representing the company said it was ceasing operations Friday because it was “impossible” to stay in business due to several factors, including the fact that Peter Harkovitch is incarcerated. The letter also references issues with cash reserves, restricted access to computer records, and financing for 20 new motor homes.

“As you are well aware, there will be numerous complaints filed with your office,” attorney Terry Draeger wrote. He was out of state and could not be reached for comment Friday.

This is the second time the state has filed suit against Alaska Motor Home on charges of unfair practices. The state sued the company and owners in 2019, citing similar problems.

A judge in 2021 ordered a $110,000 fine but as of this week, the company had paid only half, state law officials said Friday. Customer complaints about Alaska Motor Home date back at least as far as 2014, when the company accused the Better Business Bureau of harassment, prompting a wave of criticism.

The state’s complaint also accuses 66-year-old Peter Harkovitch of “a history of using Alaska Motor Home’s assets as his personal assets” to pay for his mortgage, credit card bills, pool cleaning services as well as ATM withdrawals in Florida, Las Vegas, Spain, Italy and other locations. His wife was also able to pull money out of the company’s account, according to the state’s complaint.

Peter Harkovitch is currently incarcerated at Pinellas County Jail in Florida, according to online records. He is charged with aggravated battery, threatening a public servant and criminal mischief, according to online records. Harkovitch is accused of assaulting a family member in March, leaving them in critical condition, according to a complaint filed in that case. He is also accused of destroying the apartment where they lived and urinating on a police officer, according to a sworn affidavit.

The complaint against Alaska Motor Home names a number of customers reporting issues ranging from large fees put on credit cards without authorization to contracts promising insurance the company did not offer and charging taxes above the tax rate.

Peter Harkovitch sent a woman from Utah threatening messages and eventually asked for an “unconscionable” amount of more than $20,000 after a damages dispute, the complaint said. The woman was unable to recoup $7,500 in credit card charges because someone forged her signature on two receipts, it said.

Another customer making his first trip to Alaska this summer told state consumer officials on Tuesday that he prepaid $3,700 for an RV rental and left several messages but no one returned his calls, according to the complaint.

Reynolds Holiman, a Florida engineer who owns property in Homer, said in an interview Friday that he paid $1,840 to drive a new RV from Indiana to Alaska. But in March, Alaska Motor Home put an unauthorized $2,500 deposit on his credit card, Holiman said. Then a few days before the trip was supposed to start in mid-May, he said, the business said the RV was no longer available. He asked for a refund.

Holiman said he had received about $1,400 and the attorney general’s office told him Thursday that the $2,500 deposit was illegal. He said he’s glad to have at least some of the money back.

“Fraud is a strong word, but if they charged me $2,500 they weren’t due yet for a motor home they weren’t paid for yet, that almost sounds like fraud,” Holiman said.

A temporary restraining order requested by the state asks a judge to require Alaska Motor Home to notify customers about the closure, halt new reservations, and preserve company assets and records.

State officials encourage anyone who made reservations with Alaska Motor Home via credit card to check their eligibility for a chargeback and file a consumer complaint.

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Operations to help clear the Ironwood Fire were temporarily put on hold Friday evening due to a drone in the area, according to a post on X by the Bureau of Land Management’s Arizona Fire Management.

The Ironwood Fire started about 4 p.m. Friday after a motor home caught fire and ammunition inside exploded, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The northbound lanes of Interstate 17 were temporarily shut down and officials said the fire was completely contained by Saturday morning.

“If you fly, we can’t,” the graphic on the post reads. “Recreational drones near wildfires are not safe.”

Here is what to know about why drones cannot be flown in forest fire zones.

‘If you fly, we can’t’ campaign

According to the U.S. Forest Service, “If you fly, we can’t,” stresses the public not to fly drones near or over wildfires.

The agency said federal, state and local wildland fire management agencies, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, urged the public not to fly drones near or over wildfires because they pose “serious risks” to public safety personnel and alter the effectiveness of those fighting wildfires.

The agency said aircraft that fight fires fly only a couple hundred feet above the ground, at the same altitudes as drones. This could create the potential for a midair collision or a distraction for the pilot, which could result in fatalities. Unauthorized flyers could also fall from the sky and cause serious injuries or death to firefighters on the ground.

The Forest Service said suspending firefighting operations could allow wildfires to grow larger and threaten lives, property and valuable resources.

During 2019, the service documented at least 20 instances where unauthorized drones were flown over or near wildfires, including in Arizona. These instances resulted in firefighting operations having to shut down temporarily nine times.

Flying a drone near a wildfire and interfering with wildfire efforts could lead to civil penalties, including fines up to $25,000 and potential criminal prosecution, according to the Forest Service.

Wildfire map: Track where fires are burning in Arizona in 2024

Colorado high school recruits flocked to Boulder on June 6th to participate in the University of Colorado’s Elite Camp. Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and the rest of Colorado’s coaching staff spent the day meeting and coaching recruits from all over the Centennial State and awarded select standout players with scholarship offers.

After dominating the transfer portal over the last two offseasons, the 2025 recruiting class is shaping up to be the class that Coach Prime and Colorado’s coaching staff will recruit the hardest since their arrival in Boulder. While Colorado’s biggest recruiting weekend of the summer is next weekend (June 21st-23rd), multiple players in the 2025 class and beyond have emerged as potential targets for CU and spoke with DNVR about their experience at Colorado’s Elite Camp.

2025 three-star ATH Zayne DeSouza

Before last Thursday, 2025 three-star ATH Zayne DeSouza only had two scholarship offers from Washington State and Northern Colorado. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, DeSouza balled out at earned his first Power 4 offer directly from Coach Prime after his performance at last week’s Elite Camp.

DeSouza plays tight end and defensive end for Loveland High School but worked out as a tight end at last week’s Elite Camp. DeSouza was working with tight ends coach Brett Bartolone and the rest of the tight ends in attendance before Coach Prime pulled him aside, DeSouza told DNVR.

“I came in there with the intention of trying to get an offer and impress the coaches, especially Coach Prime. He seemed to take a liking for me, he was coaching me the whole camp. He came over, grabbed me and said, ‘Where are your parents at, I’m going to give you an official offer’,” said DeSouza.

DeSouza went to Nebraska for a camp this weekend and is planning on either attending camps at Wyoming or Kansas State after. He will also attend a game in Boulder for an official visit this fall.

2025 three-star WR Jeremiah Hoffman

Jeremiah Hoffman has visited Boulder at least three times over the last year and made yet another impression on Coach Prime and CU’s coaching staff last week. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Hoffman plays wide receiver for Severance High School in Severance, CO. According to his Twitter bio, Hoffman has run a 4.5 40-yard dash and has set multiple Colorado High School state track and field records.

The speedy wide receiver out of Severance has yet to earn a scholarship offer from Colorado’s coaching staff but he was singled out by Coach Prime at last week’s Elite Camp. Hoffman is currently ranked as the 10th overall 2025 recruit out of the state of Colorado according to 247Sports.

2027 WR/TE Landon Wolny

Landon Wolny calls Glenwood Springs, CO home but plays for First Baptist Academy in Naples, FL. Last year as a freshman, Wolny had 27 receptions for 377 yards and five touchdowns in ten games. He is listed at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds and plays wide receiver and tight end for First Baptist Academy.

Although he is only entering his sophomore year of high school, Wolny performed well enough in front of CU’s coaches to earn an official offer. “I went into [Colorado’s] camp to showcase my skills. I put everything that Coach Prime was telling me and showing me to use, balled out and got the offer,” said Wolny.

Wolny also worked under Coach Bartolone and graduate assistant Andrew Zimmer while at CU’s Elite Camp. He visited Colorado last year for their matchup with Oregon State and is expected to return to Boulder for a game and visit this season.

2026 QB Yianna Balafas

Yianna Balafas plays quarterback for Kent Denver High School in Englewood, CO and led Kent to a 9-1 season throwing for 1704 yards, completing 73% of his passes for 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also had 163 rushing yards on 11 carries for another two touchdowns.

“What was really cool was how Coach Prime was there the whole time. Usually, some coaches will just show up at the beginning, say hi, leave or show up at the end but he was there the whole time,” said Balafas.

Balafas attributes his high completion percentage to his mind for the game. He will also be attending camps at Vanderbilt, Stanford and multiple Ivy League schools this summer. PrepZoneCO also listed Balafas as one of the top 2026 quarterbacks in the state.

2026 ATH Jack Offerdahl

Jack Offerdahl plays all over the field for Dakota Ridge High School but competed at CU’s Elite Camp as a defensive back. Listed at 6-foot and 180 pounds, Offerdahl was Dakota Ridge’s third-leading tackler in 2023 with 80 total tackles. He also had 12 passes defended and three interceptions. Offerdahl also returns kicks and punts and led Dakota Ridge in return yardage, punt return yardage and return attempts.

He is the younger brother of current Colorado running back Charlie Offerdahl and shows an identical work ethic and drive in his play and demeanor. “I was disappointed with how I performed, I was hoping to perform well enough to earn an offer but Coach Mathis picked me as one of the top 5 DB’s at the end so I must have done some good things,” said Offerdahl.

Offerdahl also told DNVR that he would be highly interested in returning to Colorado for more visits.