HIS wire? Does he owe you anything? Unless you gave him the receipt for reimbursement, or you billed him by the roll, any wire not installed is still yours. If nothing else, having a contractors' license should make it clear that you were not some 'temp' he hired 'down by the river.'
As for him withholding your tools ... there's a word for that: theft. File a report. If nothing else, make him sign a statement with the police asserting "I have no idea where those are." If he's playing games .... sooner or later, that statement will come back to haunt him.
The "consumer" folks are not complete idiots. They're well aware that there are customers - as well as CUSStomers. Don't let this bully play games.
Looking at it from another perspective .... $250 worth of tools is a cheap price to be rid of this loser. There is absolutely no way I'd ever deal with him again.
