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• 10/14/2005

CSLB Press Release - 10/14/2005

State Contractors Board Arrests Loomis Man for Second Time in Four Days

Suspect continued to work after contractor's license taken away 11 years ago

SACRAMENTO — A Placer County man whose contractor's license (#602253) was revoked in 1994 faces even more charges after being arrested by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and Placer County authorities twice in the same week. Tuesday, Louis Wildon Euer was arrested at his home in Loomis. It's believed he was illegally using the name of a legitimate contractor from Truckee. Euer allegedly presented a print out from the CSLB Web site to several victims with the licensed contractor's name, license number and bond information, but changing the address to his own. From that case, Euer faces three felony counts of Fraudulent Use of a License (Business & Professions Code 7027.3; two felony counts of Fraudulent Use of a Document (Penal Code 532a, 3&4); and three misdemeanor counts of Contracting Without a License (Business & Professions Code 7028). On Wednesday, Euer was released on $25,000 bail.

Euer was invited to an undercover sting operation conducted by the CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) on Thursday. An appointment was set up for Friday afternoon. When Euer gave a SWIFT investigator a roofing bid over California's legal limit for contracting without a license ($500 in labor and materials), he was arrested again. In additional to three new charges from the CSLB, The Placer County District Attorney's (DA) Office expects to charge Euer with a felony count of committing the same crime as the one he was released on bail for (Penal Code 12022.1). In Euer's vehicle, 18 additional signed contracts were found. Three of them were signed since Euer was released on bail. Additional charges are pending. Euer is being held in the Placer County jail on a minimum $75,000 bail.

"This is an important warning of why it's so important to double check to see that a contractor is who they say they are before you hire them," said CSLB Registrar Steve Sands "Ask to see their pocket license, which has their license number and name. Ask to see a picture I.D. to make sure it matches the license. Then, check them out with the Board to make sure they're licensed and don't have any actions against them."

Euer's family has a family history with the CSLB. Both his wife and father have had their licenses revoked by the CSLB:

The CSLB urges consumers to follow these tips when hiring any contractor:

• Hire only licensed contractors
• Verify the license owner, business name and address and ask for a picture I.D.
• Verify the contractor's license with the CSLB at www.cslb.ca.gov call (800) 321-CSLB (2752)
• Get three bids and check references
• Get a written contract
• Do not pay more than 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less
• Do not let payments get ahead of the work
• Do not pay cash

The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The CSLB licenses and regulates California's 292,000 contractors, and investigates more than 20,000 complaints against contractors annually. In fiscal year 2004-05, the CSLB helped consumers get more than $36 million in restitution. To check out a contractor's license, visit our website at www.cslb.ca.gov call (800) 321-CSLB (2752).