8 cited in Craigslist contractor licensing sting

CORNING, Calif. -

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) warns California consumers about unlicensed contractors advertising their illegal services on the popular Craigslist.org. A recent sting in Tehama County led to eight arrests.

According to a news release from the CSLB, all eight people caught during an undercover sting operation conducted last Thursday in Corning were targeted because of illegal ads posted on Craigslist.

CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) teamed up with the 'Tehama County District Attorneys Office to conduct the sting at a home near the Corning Canal, just west of Interstate 5.

Investigators posed as homeowners and called suspects to the home to bid on home improvement projects that included installation of new kitchen floor tile, granite countertop, a stone fire pit, landscaping, tree removal, interior and exterior painting, and concrete work.

Bids totaled as much as $16,000 for a new driveway, far above the legal limit. Any home improvement job that cost $500 or more in combined labor and material requires that a person have a state-issued contractors license.

As a result, eight suspects were cited for a misdemeanor charge of contracting without a license (Business and Professions Code section 7028). Six of those suspects will face an additional misdemeanor charge of illegal advertising (Business and Professions Code section 7027.1). State law requires unlicensed contractors to state in all advertising they are not licensed.

In addition, one suspect is expected to be charged with a violation of Labor Code section 3700.5 after bringing an employee to the sting operation who was not covered by workers' compensation insurance. That employee also was taken into custody after investigators determined he was on parole after recently serving seven years in prison for first-degree residential burglary and assault with a deadly weapon. One suspect was on probation for arson; another was found with drug paraphernalia in his pocket.

"This sting is stark evidence of the type of people we often find working without a license," said CSLB Registrar Cindi Christenson "Since advertisers don't pay to be on craigslist, their illegal ads are right next to legitimate ads from licensed contractors. That's why it's vital consumers check CSLB's website and make sure they're considering a reputable contractor in order to avoid serious risks."

CSLB encourages consumers to check the licensing of potential contractors by visiting http://www.cslb.ca.gov or by calling 800-321-2752.

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8 cited in Craigslist contractor licensing sting