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July 24th, 2009, 11:42 AM
Los Angeles News
A sting operation targeted phony contractors taking advantage of people who lost their houses in last month's disastrous Sylmar, landing two in jail and left 10 other people facing possible charges, state officials said Thursday.
One of the suspects who was arrested is an 82-year-old man with a long record of contracting violations, said Pamela Mares, an official at the Contractors State Licensing Board. Investigators with the board and the state Department of Insurance conducted the sting operation, she said.
Albert Prizant was jailed on a $50,000 warrant for contracting without a license, Mares said. Another man, whose identity had not been verified, was also jailed, Mares said.
"Prizant, who was targeted for his ad in a local newspaper, has a long history with CSLB for his work as a phony contractor, including more than one dozen criminal cases and a current open complaint," Mares said in a statement.
The Sayre Fire charred more than 11,000 acres and destroyed nearly 500 homes at the Oakridge Mobile Home Park.
Investigators from CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team posed as fire victims at two different homes in Sylmar near Veteran's Memorial Park, Mares said.
Investigators requested written bids on projects that included landscaping, tree removal, painting and other fire-related damage, and gathered evidence for possible prosecution of suspects for "acting in the capacity of a contractor without a license in a declared disaster area," Mares said.
In addition to the two people who were arrested, 10 people were facing possible prosecution for being unlicensed contractors, officials said. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office will review those cases to determine if charges are warranted.
Contractors working on any job, from debris removal to rebuilding projects, must be licensed by the CSLB if the job totals $500 or more for labor and materials.
It is illegal and punishable as a felony to perform contracting work in a state- or federally declared disaster area without a valid California contractor's license, Mares said.
Punishments may include a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 16 months in state prison. Consumers can verify a contractor's license through the CSLB's Web site, www.cslb.ca.gov , or by calling (800) 321-CSLB.
Source: http://cbs2.com/local/%20Sylmar.fire.contractor.2.885201.html
A sting operation targeted phony contractors taking advantage of people who lost their houses in last month's disastrous Sylmar, landing two in jail and left 10 other people facing possible charges, state officials said Thursday.
One of the suspects who was arrested is an 82-year-old man with a long record of contracting violations, said Pamela Mares, an official at the Contractors State Licensing Board. Investigators with the board and the state Department of Insurance conducted the sting operation, she said.
Albert Prizant was jailed on a $50,000 warrant for contracting without a license, Mares said. Another man, whose identity had not been verified, was also jailed, Mares said.
"Prizant, who was targeted for his ad in a local newspaper, has a long history with CSLB for his work as a phony contractor, including more than one dozen criminal cases and a current open complaint," Mares said in a statement.
The Sayre Fire charred more than 11,000 acres and destroyed nearly 500 homes at the Oakridge Mobile Home Park.
Investigators from CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team posed as fire victims at two different homes in Sylmar near Veteran's Memorial Park, Mares said.
Investigators requested written bids on projects that included landscaping, tree removal, painting and other fire-related damage, and gathered evidence for possible prosecution of suspects for "acting in the capacity of a contractor without a license in a declared disaster area," Mares said.
In addition to the two people who were arrested, 10 people were facing possible prosecution for being unlicensed contractors, officials said. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office will review those cases to determine if charges are warranted.
Contractors working on any job, from debris removal to rebuilding projects, must be licensed by the CSLB if the job totals $500 or more for labor and materials.
It is illegal and punishable as a felony to perform contracting work in a state- or federally declared disaster area without a valid California contractor's license, Mares said.
Punishments may include a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 16 months in state prison. Consumers can verify a contractor's license through the CSLB's Web site, www.cslb.ca.gov , or by calling (800) 321-CSLB.
Source: http://cbs2.com/local/%20Sylmar.fire.contractor.2.885201.html