By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Three people were arrested and 11 face criminal charges or administrative fines following a two-day undercover operation in Roseville conducted by the California Contractors State License Board.
The sting operation was carried out at a Roseville home last Wednesday and Thursday by members of the state board's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team, Amador and Placer county district attorney's offices, and the Roseville Police Department. Fraud team investigators posed as homeowners soliciting bids for landscaping, painting, concrete, roofing, framing and flooring work. Suspects who bid more than $500 for labor and materials received a notice to appear or an administrative citation, according to a Contractors State License Board news release.
By law, only state-licensed contractors are authorized to work on home improvement jobs valued at more than $500. Contractors also must place their state contractor license number in all advertisements. Unlicensed individuals may advertise and accept jobs valued at less than $500, but their ads must state that they are not licensed contractors. State law also requires licensees to purchase workers' compensation insurance for all their employees and themselves if they are roofing contractors.
Tony White, 53, of Fair Oaks, a flooring contractor, was arrested in the Roseville sting as a registered sex offender in possession of a concealed weapon. He also faces a misdemeanor count of contracting without a license.
Jerry Thomas Garza, 52, of Sacramento, a painting contractor, and Adrian Eric Littlefield, 33, of Auburn, each brought employees with no-bail arrest warrants, and those employees were arrested on those warrants, said Venus Stromberg, a spokeswoman for the Contractors State License Board. Garza received a notice to appear for allegedly contracting without a license and illegal advertising and Littlefield received a notice to appear for allegedly contracting without a license, illegal advertising and failure to carry workers' compensation insurance,
Also receiving notices to appear for alleged violations were:
• Lam Nguyen, 53, of Elk Grove, landscaping, contracting without a license, illegal advertising and soliciting excessive down payment.
• Ha Manh Nguyen, 41, Sacramento, flooring, contracting without a license, illegal advertising and failure to carry workers' compensation insurance.
• Brian Sean Fenno, 43, of Auburn, concrete, contracting without a license, illegal advertising and failure to carry workers' compensation insurance.
• Eduardo Gonzalez Lopez, 35, of Yuba City, landscaping, contracting without a license and illegal advertising.
• Jose Saul Chavez, 44, of Rescue, landscaping, contracting without a license and illegal advertising.
• Joe English, 28, of Antelope, framing and rough carpentry, contracting without a license and illegal advertising.
Arraignments for these individuals are scheduled Nov. 11 and 16 in Placer County Superior Court in Roseville.
Two people received administrative citations, which carry a fine. They are Max Espinosa Gomez, 41, of North Highlands, a concrete contractor, who was cited for contracting without a license, and John William Downs, 62, of Newcastle, framing and rough carpentry, who was cited for contracting without a license and illegal advertising.
The Contractors State License Board urges consumers to verify a contractor's license by checking online at www.cslb.ca.gov, or via the board's automated phone system at (800) 321-2752.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
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