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• 08/18/2006

CSLB Press Release - 08/18/2006

State Contractors Board Teams with Tulare County District Attorney's Office to Sting Illegal Operators

More than one dozen arrested; many face felony charges

VISALIA - The lure of big money led 16 unlicensed operators to bid for home improvement work at a house near Woodland Park in Visalia Thursday. 14 of them ended up in handcuffs. Nine of those were taken to jail and may face felony charges. Those are just some of the results of a sting operation conducted by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), with support from the Tulare County District Attorney's Office.

Members of CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) members posed as homeowners and invited suspects to the sting location to bid on various home improvement jobs ranging from landscaping and concrete to painting, installing a new fence and tree removal. A special focus was placed on individuals arrested in previous stings, complaints to the District Attorney's Office and newspaper advertisements. When the bids exceeded the legal limit of $500 (labor & materials), they were arrested.

Four of those arrested Thursday attempted to portray themselves as licensed contractors by using license numbers. Pat B. Velasquez of "Velasquez Cement" presented a business card with his license number that actually expired in 1981. David Jonathan Jackson of "David Jackson Painting" used the number from his license that was revoked in 2001.

Alfredo "Freddy" Arguello and Anselmo Medel of "Concrete Cemento" attempted to use the legitimate number of a licensed contractor. Three others, Javier A. Servin of "Anguiano Handyman," Jamie Torres and his wife Shauna of "J&S Concrete" were all arrested for contracting without a license at a similar sting in April 2005. Those taken to jail can either be cited, then released, or face bail at between $5,000 and $10,000. They face the potential of one to three years in state prison.

Five others were given a Notice to Appear (NTA) before a Superior Court judge on September 6th to face misdemeanor charges. That carries a maximum six months in jail and/or up to $1,000 fine.

"The CSLB is serious about going after people who break the law and put consumers in danger," said Steve Sands. "We applaud the Tulare County District Attorney's Office for being equally aggressive in prosecuting these criminals."

Not only are unlicensed operators breaking the law, many are convicted criminals, not qualified to do the work, and putting homeowners at a serious financial risk.

"Many homeowners don't realize that unlicensed operators rarely, if ever, carry workers' compensation insurance on their employees," said David Fogt, CSLB's Chief of Enforcement. "If one of them gets hurt on their property, the homeowner could be liable. Plus, if a homeowner has problems with the unlicensed operator, they have very few options to go after them."

The CSLB urges homeowners to be careful before inviting any contractor into their house or agreeing to have any work done. Ask to see their state contractor's license and go online or call CSLB's automated phone system to verify that the license is valid. They can also check out the contractor's license history and get bond and personnel information.

The CSLB urges consumers to follow these tips when dealing with a building contractor:

• Hire only licensed contractors and ask to see the license;
• Don't rush into decisions and don't hire the first contractor who comes along;
• Be especially hesitant when approached by someone offering home improvement services door-to-door, especially when they will use material they claim is left over from another job.
• Verify the contractor's license by checking online at www.cslb.ca.gov or via CSLB's automated phone service at 1-800-321-CSLB (2752);
• Never pay more than 10% down or $1,000, whichever is less;
• Don't pay cash, and don't let the payments get ahead of the work;
• Get three bids, check references, and a written contract; and

Arrest Details

Code Explanations

The CSLB and Tulare County District Attorney's Office would also like to thank Millcreek Management for allowing the use of one of its properties for the undercover operation.

The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The CSLB licenses and regulates California's 302,000 contractors, and investigates more than 20,000 complaints against contractors annually. In fiscal year 2005-06, the CSLB helped consumers get more than $36 million in restitution.