The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) held sting operations last Tuesday through Thursday, March 25-27, in nine California locations, including Dana Point, where 13 alleged unlicensed contractors were swept up.
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The “California Blitz” operation, which was staged by CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team with local law enforcement assistance, had SWIFT agents posing as homeowners seeking bids for home improvements such as painting, drywall, landscaping, decking, cabinets, flooring, fencing, masonry, concrete and tree removal work.
A total of 121 individuals were arrested statewide, including repeat offenders. Among those caught in the Dana Point sting was a man awaiting trial on an assault with a deadly weapon charge, according to CSLB. An unlicensed contractor busted in Orange County had been reported to CSLB by a licensed contractor who had lost work to the illegal operator.
Besides Dana Point, where the Orange County Sheriff's Department and District Attorney's office participated in the sting, ops were run in Bass Lake, Clovis, Hanford, Palos Verdes Estate, Sacramento, San Jose, Vista and Woodland.
Unlicensed landscaping contractor Martin Villegas was busted in the Sacramento sting for responding to a fake bid request. The next day, he showed up to the sting location in nearby Woodland to bid for exterior painting, landscaping and concrete work. Thus, he received two notices to appear in court in two days, which may be some kind of record.
By the way, we used images from Spike TV's Catch a Contractor starring Adam Carolla to illustrate this post, which is fitting because the new reality show has already ventured into Tustin to make a shady contractor right his wrongs.
On the next page you'll find the names of those busted in Dana Point and their court dates. . .
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Arrested on day one of the operation (March 25) and scheduled to appear in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana at 8:30 a.m. on June 5 and June 12 are:
* Adrian Carachure-Molina of Tustin, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license and Illegal advertising.
* Israel Clark of Anaheim, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license and Illegal advertising.
* Richard Sanchez Jr. of Anaheim, accused of concrete contracting without a license and illegal advertising.
* Erik Anthony Konicki of Laguna Beach, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license.
* Frank Fernando Nolazco of Monrovia, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license and Illegal advertising.
* Ramiro Gonzalez Ruiz of Anaheim, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license and Illegal advertising.
* Jason Aaron Tuckness of Huntington Beach, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license.
* Michael Alan Wiley of, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license and Illegal advertising.
Arrested on day two of the operation (March 26) and also scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Santa Ana at 8:30 a.m. on June 5 and June 12 are:
* Bruce Lloyd Walberg of San Clemente, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license.
* Chad Michael Wolf of Aliso Viejo, accused of cabinet, millwork and finish carpentry
contracting without a license and illegal advertising.
* Gerardo Chavez Gonzalez of Stanton, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license.
* Randy Ernie Lopez of La Habra, accused of concrete contracting without a license and Illegal advertising.
* Christopher James Lehman of Huntington Beach, accused of painting and decorating contracting without a license and Illegal advertising.
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OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.