TAMPA — The contractors arriving at the Brandon home thought they were meeting with a potential customer. They were wrong.
In fact, the would-be clients were undercover detectives and the contractors, lacking a license to ply their trade, left the home in handcuffs.
The recent sting by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, dubbed Operation Bring Down the House and conducted in May and June, netted 15 arrests, Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a news conference Wednesday. Charges are pending against five more suspects.
Two of the contractors are repeat offenders snagged in a previous Sheriff’s Office sting, Chronister said. A third, 49-year-old Paul G. Gordon, who did business as 813 Handyman, had eight prior charges of contracting without a license.
"To the unlicensed contractors who wish to conduct their business in Hillsborough County, we will continue to aggressively target you until you stop preying on our community," Chronister said.
Two detectives reached out to 91 suspected unlicensed contractors through social media sites like Craig’s List, Yelp, Facebook and Porch. A majority of the suspects told the detectives they could do the work on the cheap by not pulling permits, Chronister said.
When the contractors were unable to provide proof of license, they were arrested on the spot.
The value of the contracted work totaled more than $175,000, according to Sheriff’s Office.
Chronister said unlicensed contractors sometimes take payment but fail to complete the work, if they begin at all, and the work they do is often shoddy. He urged homeowners to be wary and confirm that contractors are licensed before hiring them.
"Protect yourself," he said. "Knowledge is power."
Conracting without a license is a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and fine of up to $1,000. A second offense can result in a felony charge.
The two contractors involved in a prior sting were William L. Moore, 57, and Donald E. Tucker, 55, who did business as Rent A Husband and Rent A Handyman.
