Unlicensed contractors answered an online ad and walked into a sting operation

More than a dozen unlicensed contractors throughout Merced County found that advertising their services online could lead to thousand of dollars in fines and possibly jail time, officials at the Contractors State License Board reported.

During a two-day sting operation last week, 13 people were cited by the Contractors State License Board, or CSLB,authorities said in a news release. One person was cited for the second time and is facing a stiffer conviction.

The CSLB Statewide Investigation Fraud Team partnered with the Merced County District Attorney’s Office to conduct the sting, officials said, using a home near Mercy Medical Center.

Investigators with CSLB posed as homeowners and used online ads to target suspected unlicensed contractors. Investigators asked them for bids on contracting projects, including landscaping, exterior painting, plumbing, re-facing cabinets and building an outdoor kitchen.

The bids reached more than $7,000, officials said, an amount above the legal threshold. In California it’s a misdemeanor for unlicensed contractors to bid for work that’s $500 or more in labor and materials.

Being convicted for contracting without a license for the first time can cost people up to $5,000 in fines and up to six months in jail, officials said.

“One suspect could potentially face additional fines and no less than 90 days in county jail after getting caught in a sting for the second time since last September,” officials said in the statement.

Out of the 13 people cited, officials said, 12 could face additional charges for illegal advertising, because contractors “must either list their license number or state that they are unlicensed.”

Eight of the suspects were cited for asking for an excessive down payment, the statement said. CSLB officials confirmed it’s illegal for contractors to ask for more than 10 percent down or $1,000

Another unlicensed contractor was cited for selling home improvement services without being registered through CSLB, officials said; it’s a misdemeanor for a contractor to be represented as a salesperson without being registered as one.

“It only takes a couple of minutes for a homeowner to go to our website to make sure the contractor is properly licensed,” CSLB Registrar Dave Fogt said in a statement. “They can also find out important license information, as well as insurance and any disciplinary action CSLB has taken against them.”

Those cited from Merced include: Angel P. Semeria; Frank Anthony Salas; Albertano Laguna Lara; James Wesley Kiles; Mark Anthony Tapiz and Michael Anthony Magna.

Four people were cited from Los Banos: Robert Anthony Uribe; Yoel Rodriguez Rodriguez; Carlos Perez Padilla and Brenda Dayana Hernandez Deniz.

Chowchilla residents,Cody Brian McGinnis and Francisco R. Rivera were cited, as was Eden Giovani of Hilmar.

All of the alleged unlicensed contractors will appear in Merced Superior Court on Sept. 20.

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Unlicensed contractors answered an online ad and walked into a sting operation."