IN CASE YOU MISSED IT….WFLA 8: “8 Charged in unlicensed contractor sting in Polk County”
6/22/2016
“8 Charged in unlicensed contractor sting in Polk County”
Channel 8 News WFLA | Story by Melissa Marino
June 22, 2016
To Read the Full Article Click HERE
Police busted eight men in an undercover sting that focused on unlicensed contractors.
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Investigators say they advertised their ability to perform wide-ranging plumbing and electrical work without proper licenses or training. All but one had no worker’s compensation coverage to protect their employees in the event of an accident or injury.
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During the operation, detectives responded to public advertisements, created by the suspects, requesting that they perform services at a home in Lakeland. The workers were invited to the home by an undercover detective posing as a homeowner in need of home repairs. Once they provided the undercover detective with a proposal for work that would require a contractor’s license in the state of Florida, they were in violation.
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The following seven suspects were arrested between June 16th and 20th and were all charged with engaging in a business as a contractor without a license and failure to secure workers’ compensation insurance coverage: Justin Cortes, 48, of Polk City; Greatlen Bozeman, 44, of Winter Haven; Herbert Vanegas, 54, of Lakeland; Henricus Van Der Linden, 56, of Winter Haven; Stuart Rhodes, 67, of Lakeland; Juan Carlos Diaz, 35, of Lakeland, and Raymond Figueroa-Garcia, 30, of Winter Haven.
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Raymond Perdue, age 45, had his worker’s compensation insurance, but did not have a contractor’s license.
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Agencies involved include: LPD, State Attorney’s Office 10th Judicial Circuit, Florida Department of Financial Services Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Compliance, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
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