ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Clay County and St. John?s County sheriff?s sffices announced on Tuesday the arrests of 12 contractors charged with operating without certification.
Each county?s sheriff's office, along with their building departments and the State Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), conducted a joint investigation into contractors operating without certification.
Recommended Videos
Detectives working on Operation Monkey Wrench and Operation Handy Man contacted nearly 50 unlicensed contractors in Northeast Florida.
"People have been victimized by these unlicensed contractors when they give them money up front -- possibly half -- and they do not return to do the work," said Clay County Sheriff's Office Lt. Berry Abramowitz. "Therefore, it's theft."
In late 2005, DBPR Regional Program Administrator Sandra Rentfrow provided detectives information on unlicensed contractors in northeast Florida who were misleading clients about permitting.
Investigators rented homes in Clay and St. Johns counties and targeted contractors who came and agreed to perform various construction work and provided written or verbal estimates ranging between $15,000 to $200,000.
Officials said that when the individual suspects came to the houses on Tuesday planning to pick up a deposit checks, they were served warrants and arrested on charges of engaging in contracting without certification.
"The sting was very successful," Abramowitz said. "They had no idea they were dealing with law enforcement."
The contractors arrested included:
- Joseph Terrell Crews, 49, of Jacksonville
- Ronald L. Davis, 66, of Keystone Heights
- George Edward Libert, 53, of Middleburg
- John R. Truesdell, 47, of Keystone Heights
- Cosmo Paul LoRusso, 44, of Orange Park
- James Edward Barczak, 62, of Middleburg
- Jeramie Duane Dehart, 27, of Jacksonville
- Steve Wayne Griffis Jr., 44, of Middleburg
- Hasu C. Patel, 52, of St. Augustine
- Mary Francis Patel, 46, of St. Augustine
- Carl Martin Kinsey, 51, of St. Augustine
- David Dean Thompson, 30, of St. Augustine
Representatives from the DBPR were also on hand during the arrests to serve the suspects with a "Cease and Desist Order."
Detectives said additional cross-county charges are pending on many of the suspects arrested during the sting.
Florida officials advise that anyone preparing to hire a contractor check to make sure the person is licensed before paying any money. Licenses can be checked online or by calling (850)-488-3109.