CSLB Shuts Down Illegal Operators During Undercover Sting in San Diego County

    Seventeen cited on unlicensed contracting charges, fourteen face additional charge for illegal advertising

    SACRAMENTO - During a two-day undercover operation in the city of Santee, Contractors State License Board (CSLB) investigators cracked down on illegal contracting and cited suspects for placing bids over the legal threshold for unlicensed contractors and for violating state advertising rules. The suspects left the location with a date to appear in court.

    Last week, members of CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) developed a list of alleged unlicensed operators from ads posted online, referrals from business cards, and ads placed on the sides of trucks parked in the area. With help from the San Diego Sheriff's Department and the California Department of Consumer Affairs Division of Investigation, SWIFT issued citations to 17 individuals for contracting illegally.

    Posing as homeowners, SWIFT investigators invited the suspects to a single-family home near Carlton Oaks Country Club to bid on home improvement work. Suspects placed bids on concrete, tile flooring, painting, rebuilding a fence and patio cover, and stucco work.

    Bids ranged from $1,000 for fencing to $8,040 for concrete work, all estimates that far exceed the legal limit of $500 for labor and materials combined when contracting without a state-issued license.

    The individuals received a Notice to Appear in court and face a misdemeanor charge for contracting without a license (Business and Professions Code (BPC) section (§) 7028). First-conviction penalties include up to six months in jail and/or up to $5,000 in fines; subsequent convictions bring harsher penalties.

    "If someone hands you a business card or has a fancy ad, that doesn't necessarily mean they are qualified to do the job," said Dave Fogt, CSLB Registrar. "A California licensed contractor should have his or her license number listed on all business cards and advertisements, and consumers should always verify the license number with CSLB." Consumers can also search CSLB's website to find licensed contractors in their area.

    Fourteen of the suspects caught during the sting were given an additional citation for their illegal advertisements (BPC §7027.1). State law requires that unlicensed contractors mention in all advertisements that they are not licensed.

    Those cited are scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. on May 14-15, 2018, at San Diego East Co. Regional Center (MAP), 250 E. Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92020.

    NOTE: All suspects are presumed innocent until their case is resolved.

    DAY 1
    SUSPECT NAME
    CITY OF RESIDENCE    		 LICENSE CLASSIFICATION ALLEGED VIOLATION
    Juan Jose Antonio Zacari
    San Diego    		 C-8 Concrete Services Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Pablo Martinez Guzman
    San Diego    		 C-8 Concrete Services Contracting Without a License
    Naiel Shamoul Tito
    El Cajon    		 C-54 Ceramic and Mosaic Tile Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    David Adrian Salazar Gomez
    Oceanside    		 C-33 Painting and Decorating Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Minh Canh Doan
    San Diego    		 C-33 Painting and Decorating Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertisement
    Richard Joseph Allan
    Encinitas     		C-5 Framing and Rough Carpentry Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Chris George Schmall
    San Diego    		 C-13 - Fencing Contractor Contracting Without a License
    Oscar Trujillo Ocampo
    El Cajon    		 C-8 Concrete Services Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Jeffrey Alan Manning
    San Diego    		 C-33 Painting and Decorating Contracting Without a License

    DAY 2
    SUSPECT NAME
    CITY OF RESIDENCE    		 LICENSE CLASSIFICATION ALLEGED VIOLATION
    John Sierra Venegas
    Vista    		 C-8 Concrete Services Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Benjamin Dean Potratz
    Julian    		 C-33 Painting and Decorating Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Mario Acuna
    Jamul    		 C-33 Painting and Decorating Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Volta Radoslav Farrera De Loza
    Lemon Grove    		 C-8 Concrete Services Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Juan Ramon Lopez
    San Diego    		 C-35 Lathing and Plastering Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Gregory Van Houston
    San Diego    		 C-33 Painting and Decorating Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Augustin Vazquez
    La Mesa    		 C-8 Concrete Services Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising
    Wenceslaus Avalos
    National City     		C-54 Ceramic and Mosaic Tile Contracting Without a License,
    Illegal Advertising

    CSLB encourages consumers to always "check the license first" before hiring a contractor by visiting www.cslb.ca.gov or by calling 800-321-CSLB (2752). CSLB has introduced a new website feature to help consumers start their search for a licensed contractor. The new "Find My Licensed Contractor" feature enables users to build a list of all licensed contractors, sorted by trade, in a specific geographic area.

    The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. CSLB licenses and regulates almost 290,000 contractors in California, and is regarded as one of the leading consumer protection agencies in the United States. In fiscal year 2016-17, CSLB helped recover over $47 million in ordered restitution for consumers.


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