JOINT OPERATION NETS SIX FOR UNLICENSED CONTRACTING

Posted on January 30, 2017

 

screen-shot-2014-06-20-at-3-59-31-pmFor Immediate Release

January 30, 2017

Walton County, Fla– – A three day operation leads to the arrest of six individuals for contracting without a license.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation conducted a joint operation focusing on unlicensed contractors Wednesday through Friday last week.  This operation began with a DBPR employee making contact with various suspects who were advertising services online. Appointments were set up with the suspects who would give estimates for their work in exchange for money.

Suspects would meet with undercover investigators at an arranged location and conduct an estimate. Once it was determined the suspect was operating as a licensed contractor without a valid contracting license they were stopped by units of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and issued a notice to appear. Each individual was also issued a cease and desist order from DBPR.  This operation resulted in six subjects being issued NTAs.

Those charged with violations are:

SUSPECT                    DATE OF BIRTH

Justin Brady                 08-30-1985

Martin Robinson          02-10-1980

David Gordon               07-04-1968

Harlan Hagler               02-17-1976

Owen Boone                07-25-1963

Jason Eason                 02-16-1974

Consumers can verify professional licenses that fall under DBPR’s jurisdiction by visiting www.myfloridalicense.com, calling (850) 487-1395 or downloading the free DBPR Mobile app available in the iTunes and Google Play app stores. Information on services requiring a state-issued professional license from DBPR and how to report suspected unlicensed activity is available online at www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/reg/ula.html.

Consumers can submit complaints of unlicensed activity with descriptions and pictures using the “Report Unlicensed Activity” feature on the DBPR Mobile app. To learn more about reporting unlicensed activity to DBPR using the mobile app, consumers can watch the how-to video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2MWba_rU_M or visit the DBPR mobile app webpage at www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/os/DBPRMobileApp.html.