Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman announced charges against five unlicensed contractors following an undercover operation in Altadena\u2019s Eaton fire zone.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnlicensed contractors \u2026 are essentially trying to take advantage of people at some of their lowest moments and trying to profit off their tragedy,\u201d Hochman said Thursday in a joint news conference with L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the unincorporated community.<\/p>\n
The five suspects \u2014 Guillermo Ramirez, Edgar Geovanni Lopez Revolorio, Melvin Hairon Mejia Ordonez, Daniel Escarzaga and Andrew Escarzaga \u2014 were charged in connection to rebuilding or attempting to restore homes in Altadena without a license. They\u2019ll be arraigned on Jan. 8.<\/p>\n
Hochman referred to the defendants as \u201ccriminal contractors\u201d at the news conference Thursday. He said the details of the undercover operation will be revealed in court.<\/p>\n
The charges came as a result of a collaborative investigation involving the district attorney\u2019s office and the Contractors State License Board, which regularly conducts undercover operations across the state to bust unlicensed contractors. So far this year, they\u2019ve held stings in Walnut Creek<\/a>, Visalia<\/a> and Bakersfield<\/a>.<\/p>\n Typically, the stings entail investigators posing as homeowners to solicit bids from contractors without licenses.<\/p>\n In California, a contractor\u2019s license is required for any project over $1,000, and operating without one can lead to misdemeanor charges resulting in up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. <\/p>\n Each defendant in the cases Hochman announced faces a $10,000 fine and up to three years in prison. Though contracting without a license is normally a misdemeanor, it is a felony when done in connection with an area damaged by a natural disaster, such as Pacific Palisades or Altadena, Hochman said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you are one of these unlicensed contractors, we\u2019re gonna come after you. Every single person you deal with is someone who might be an undercover operative working for law enforcement,\u201d Hochman said. \u201cGet the heck out of our community.\u201d<\/p>\n Contracting scams popped up repeatedly in the months after the January fires, especially in Altadena, where homeowners rushed to rebuild shortly after their homes burned down. In September, ABC 7 reported<\/a> that two families were suing a contractor who promised to handle their entire rebuilds but disappeared after receiving retainer payouts of $33,678 from each family.<\/p>\n Hochman said unlicensed contractors often quote projects at half the cost of licensed contractors since they don\u2019t have to pay for permits or insurance.<\/p>\n Barger explained that hiring unlicensed contractors can lead to higher costs, significant delays or unsafe work site conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt often costs more in the long run,\u201d Barger said. \u201cAnd sometimes, they run away with your money.\u201d<\/p>\n On its website, the Contractors State License Board has a search engine<\/a> to check contractors\u2019 names or license numbers.<\/p>\n All five men arrested in the undercover operation did not actually perform any work on a home, according to Hochman, who said some other fire-affected homeowners have reached out to prosecutors to identify other unlicensed workers. More charges could be coming, he said. Hochman said he is launching a broader effort to protect fire victims looking for cheap repairs.<\/p>\n