Three of 14 caught for unlicensed contracting had prior citations
SACRAMENTO – A Contractors State License Board (CSLB) undercover sting operation in Bay Point, led to 14-individfuals being cited for illegal contracting, three suspects were found to be repeat offenders.
On May 27-28, Investigators from CSLB’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) posed as home owners at a single-family home near the Ambrose Recreation and Park District. Using advertisements in local newspapers, PennySaver ads, and craigslist.org, they invited individuals suspected of unlicensed
contracting to place bids for jobs that included painting, fence repair, landscaping, and concrete. Bids
ranged from $750 for fence repair to $10,000 for a backyard concrete pad.
“Anyone who needs a contractor for a project that is $500 or more in combined labor and material
costs needs to make sure the person is state-licensed,” said CSLB Registrar Cindi Christenson. “It’s
easy to find that information on CSLB’s website or by calling our toll-free line.”
During the first day of the operation, a suspect who bid for concrete work was found to be a repeat
offender, caught for the same charges in a CSLB sting just last month in Union City. However, changing
locations does not stop CSLB’s investigators from tracking down these illegal operators. An offender
from Dublin also was no stranger to unlicensed contracting; he was issued a citation for contracting
without a license in July 2007.
On day two, SWIFT investigators found another repeat offender who had been caught nearly two years ago in Napa. He told investigators that he tried to get his license, but he had difficulty with the exam.
“One of the goals of these operations is to encourage those who are caught for illegal contracting to apply and become licensed to work as a legitimate contractor,” added Christenson. “The license examinations can be re-taken if not passed on the first try.”
First-conviction penalties for contracting without a license (Business and Professions Code section
7028) include up to six months in jail and/or up to $5,000 in fines. A second conviction can carry a
mandatory sentence of up to 90 days in jail. Penalties are more severe with each successive violation.
Each of those caught during the operation also face an illegal advertising charge (Business and
Professions Code section 7027.1).State law prohibits unlicensed contractors from advertising for
construction-related work valued at $500 or more, although they can advertise for jobs below that
amount if the ad states that they are not licensed.
Three suspects also were cited for charging an excessive down payment (Business and Professions
Code section 7159.5 (a) (3)). Down payments may not exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract amount, whichever is less.
- Victor Hugo Trejo Aguilar, Bay Point
- Soakai Ofahengave, Pittsburg
- Mario Cendejas, Concord,
- Teodoro Lorenzo Pablo, Oaland
- Humberto Navarro, Bay Point
- Rodolfo Orellana Gonzalez, Pittsburg
- Ben Pham, Dublin
- Nikolaus Margaritis, Vallejo
- Luis Antonio Talavera Mujica, Pittsburg
- Julio Cesar Perez-Ramirez, Oakland
- Malioni Kaloni, Antioch
- Alberto Galvan-Martinez, Pittsburg
- Valcour Chapman Caroll, Jr, Berkeley
- Samuel Lee Joseph, Jr., Union City
Suspects were ordered to appear on July 9, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Contra Costa County Superior
Court, 1000 Center Drive, Pittsburg, CA 94565.
CSLB encourages consumers to always “Check The License First” by visiting www.cslb.ca.gov or
calling its toll-free automated line: 800.321.CSLB (2752). Also, visit CSLB’s website for tips about how to
hire a contractor and to sign up for CSLB Email Alerts.
The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of
Consumer Affairs. CSLB licenses and regulates about 290,000 contractors in California, and is regarded
as one of the leading consumer protection agencies in the United States. In fiscal year 2013-14, CSLB
helped recover nearly $51 million in ordered restitution for consumers.
Photo – via California State Contractors Board, file footage.
