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Broward Sheriff’s Office sting nets 15 illegal contractors

More than a dozen contractors were busted in a sting by the Broward Sheriff’s Office earlier this month, the agency announced Tuesday.
Charges were filed against 15 electrical and construction workers on April 1 and 2, when BSO’s economic crimes unit set up in an Oakland Park home where work supposedly was needed, Per Detective Danny Belyeu.
Here’s how Belyeu said the sting went down:
Investigators with the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation reached out to a number of contractors who claimed to be licensed in advertisements on the Internet or publications.
When the contractors arrived at the home, Belyeu and a female deputy greeted them under the guise that they were either husband and wife or brother and sister, and had recently bought the home.
The two deputies showed the contractor the work they needed done — plumbing, electrical or in one case pool work — and came to an agreement. Belyeu and his associate then cut a down payment check to the contractor, at which point a takedown crew came out and detained the unlicensed contractor.
All 15 were given notices to appear in court for operating as a contractor without being licensed. One man was also arrested on an outstanding traffic-related warrant.
Three were also issued citations for arriving in work vehicles that did not display the proper licensing and company information.
Not only do unlicensed contractors often perform shoddy work or fail to complete jobs, they also often perform unpermitted work, which can create problems for homeowners hoping to sell if an inspector learns of the illegal job.
Improvements made without the benefit of a permit can come back and bite you. It can create real financial issues for people later on down the road.”
Customers should be alert for workers without their license numbers on their vehicles, or those who request a large deposit before work starts.
To verify a contractor’s license, visit your states Department of Labor and Industries online.
BY DAVID SMILEY

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