Undercover state and Monterey County officials have busted 10
people, including a Gilroy man, for doing contracting work without
a license.
Undercover state and Monterey County officials have busted 10 people, including a Gilroy man, for doing contracting work without a license.
Among the 10 was Ruben Sustita Guerrero, 51, of Gilroy-based R. Guerrero Fencing. He was cited and released – similar to a traffic violation – and ordered to appear March 27 at the Monterey County Superior Court on misdemeanor charges of illegal contracting, according to Pamela Mares, an information officer with the Contractors State License Board. If convicted, Guerrero could face up to six months in jail and/or a $500 fine, according to Mares.
It happened Thursday when covert officials from the Contractors State License Board and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office masqueraded as the owners of a Salinas home and solicited bids from 10 unlicensed contractors for painting, concrete, landscaping and fencing work. Officials contacted the contractors based on customer complaints, reports from nearby law enforcement agencies and advertisements on CraigsList.com, the Penny Saver and local newspapers.
“People say they’re just trying to make a living, but this is over $500 worth of work. It isn’t chump change,” Mares said. “These people aren’t paying taxes, insurance, worker’s comp or keeping their license up to date, and if they fall on the job, they can sue you.”
California law requires a state contractor’s license for home improvement jobs totaling more than $500 in supplies and labor. To receive a license, a contractor must have at least four years of journey-level experience, pass two licensing exams and pay about $1,000 in various processing fees, according to the state’s Web site. They must also possess a license bond and offer their workers compensation insurance. In Guerrero’s case, he said he intended on renewing his expired license, but he said he just hadn’t had the chance before stealthy officials called him out last week.
“It’s no big deal. They just told me to update my license,” Guerrero said Tuesday. “I was just trying to make some money real quick. I wasn’t even surprised. I don’t have nothing to hide. I’m just trying to make an honest dollar.”
Guerrero went called the sting a “scheme” and said state officials were looking for the real crooks – not people like him.
“The guy said I was a real professional. He knew I wasn’t that kind of guy and that I should tell that judge that,” Guerrero said. “They were real cool about it. Right away they knew that I wasn’t a bad guy … If I was that kind of person, I wouldn’t be advertising my home address and phone number.”
The State board engages in string operations every week throughout the state, and when officials issue citations, they also give the contractors license applications, according to Mares.
“They tell them what they did wrong and what they can do to rectify it,” Mares said.
Guerrero was the only one from Gilroy. The rest hail from Salinas, Seaside, Marina, Moss Landing, San Jose and Santa Cruz, according to Mares.
To check a contractor’s license or file a complaint, go to the state board Web site at www.cslb.ca.gov or call 800-321-2752. The Contractors State License Board operates under the auspices of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. CSLB licenses and regulates 316,000 contractors, and last fiscal year, the board helped recover $35.2 million in ordered restitution for consumers, according to a press release.
The 10 people accused in Thursday’s illegal contracting sting operation are:
-Thomas Colton Benton Jr., 55, of San Jose.
-Guadalupe Rodriguez Cabesuela with C & C Fencing, 47, of Moss Landing.
-Vincent David Cefalu with Central Coast Painting, 55, of Seaside.
-Derek Levett Fowler with DJ’s Maintenance & Painting Service, 43, of Seaside.
-Ruben Sustita Guerrero with R. Guerrero Fencing, 51, of Gilroy.
-Miriam Miranda Mora with Jimmy’s Landscape & Gardening, 25, of Seaside.
-Eugene Theodor Portor with Rourke Designs, 41, of Santa Cruz.
-Robert Jesus Rivera with RJ Handyman, 42, of Salinas.
-Vincent William Savoldi with Monterey Handyman and Remodeling, 49, of Marina.
-Jose Luiz Arias Valdez with Jimmy’s Landscape & Gardening, 33, of Seaside.
