Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman announced charges against five unregistered contractors after an under-fire operation in Altadena’s Eaton Fire Zone.
“Contractors who don’t have simplicity … are actually trying to take advantage of people in their down times and try to reduce their risk,” La County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the nonprofit community, said Thursday in a joint news release.
Five suspects – Guillermo Ramirez, Edgar Geovanni Lopez Revolez, Daniel Escarzaga and Andrew Escarzaga – are facing a charge of restoring homes in Altadena. They will be returned in Jan. 8.
Hochman referred to the defendants as “criminal contractors” at a news conference Thursday. He said details of the undercover operation would be revealed in court.
The charges came as a result of a joint investigation involving the district attorney’s office and the Continent Lalke License Board, which oversees federally licensed contractors across the country. So far this year, they have held the trees in place Walnut Creek, Visalia and Bakersfield.
Typically, stings involve investigators posing as homeowners to solicit bids from unlicensed contractors.
In California, a contractor’s license is required for any project over $1,000, and it works without incurring a misdemeanor charge of up to six months resulting in six months in jail and $5,000.
Each defendant in the hochman cases announced a face of $ 10,000 a night and up to three years in prison. Although contracting without a license is usually a misdemeanor, it is permissible when it is done in an area damaged by a natural disaster, such as Pacific Palikades or Altadena, said Hochman.
“If you’re one of these illegal contractors, we’re going to come after you. Every single person you deal with is a potential illegal employee,” said Hochman. “Get the Heck out of our community.”
Contract scams surfaced several times in the months after the Janisi fires, especially in Altadena, where homeowners rushed to rebuild soon after their homes burned. In September, ABC 7 reported Those two families sued the contractor who promised to rebuild the entire fence but disappeared after receiving a payment of $33,678 per family.
Hochman said illegal contractors often quote projects at a fraction of the cost of licensed contractors because they don’t have to pay for permits or insurance.
Barger explained that hiring unregistered contractors can lead to higher costs, longer delays or unsafe working conditions.
“It’s usually more expensive in the long run,” Barger said. “And sometimes, they run away with your money.”
On its website, the Continents Libes Board has Search engine to look up contractor names or license numbers.
All of these five people arrested in an undercover operation were actually doing any work at home, according to Hochman, who said that some homeowners affected by the fire have reached out to prosecutors to identify other illegal workers. There have been many cases, he said. Hochman said he is launching a broader effort to protect fire victims in search of cheaper repairs.
He asked if he was concerned about the possible immigration consequences of that enforcement effort — the Trump Administration’s arrests at immigration facilities and the fact that many non-immigrant contractors can’t get immigration status “somehow.”
