Fourteen unlicensed contractors were arrested during an undercover sting by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at a house in Bradenton between Aug. 8 and 10, deputies say.
Elmar Gubisch
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Bradenton
Over a dozen contractors were arrested in an unlicensed contractor sting in Manatee County this week, the sheriff’s office said.
In a three-day sting operation between August 8 and 10, fourteen men were arrested by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for attempting to perform construction work without the proper licensing or insurance.
The sheriff’s office partnered with the Florida Department of Financial Service’s Division of Investigative and Forensic Services, as well as the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for the operation.
Arrest records show that the operation took place at a house in Bradenton.
In one arrest, a man was contracted to convert a bathtub to a shower, which would have included reworking plumbing piping, installing lights and running new wires in exchange for $3,500, but he was not registered or certified as a contractor, according to a probable cause affidavit.
In another case, a man arrived at the house to remove a water tank and replace it with a new hot water system in exchange for $1,800, despite being unlicensed, the affidavit said.
“The purpose of the operation was to address unlicensed contractors working without the required contractor license and engaging in construction class work without the required workers’ compensation insurance exemptions,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release Friday afternoon.
The sheriff’s office routinely performs these sting operations to catch unlicensed contractors. A similar operation in January resulted in the arrest or citation of nine contractors.
These fourteen men are facing charges:
Daniel Martin Vandenwildenberg, 41, fail to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification- plumbing, and engage in contractor business w/o certification- electrical
Aaron Joseph Prumm, 44, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, and engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical
Walter Jay Griggs, 65, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage and engage in contractor business without certification-plumbing
Travis Joel Boyer, 44, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, and engage in contractor business without certification-electrical
Lorenc Serani, 52, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, and engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical
Aaron L Avalos, 53, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, and engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical
Marquis Gonzalez, 35, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, and engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.
Brian Craig Ferguson, 37, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, and engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical
Oscar Encarnacion, 50, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, and engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical
Rafael Morales, 46, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage and engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical
William Chadwick Rowland, 44, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage and engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical
Enzo Arduca, 45, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage and engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing
Daniel Lee Kittle, 69, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage and engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical
Chad Everett Blecha, 54, failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical
Michael Moore Jr. is the public safety and justice reporter for the Bradenton Herald. He covers crime, courts and law enforcement. Michael grew up in Bradenton and graduated from University of South Florida St. Petersburg.
