Nearly two dozen men are accused of massive construction fraud, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
They were arrested last week as part of an undercover sting, and now authorities are warning the public about protecting themselves against unlicensed contractors.
The nine-day undercover sting was designed to catch unlicensed contractors that authorities believe were targeting senior citizens in the area.
Detectives posed as homeowners and responded to advertisements placed by the alleged unlicensed contractors.
The contractors gave the detectives $117,000 in alleged fake estimates, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Sixteen people were arrested and six more are facing charges related to this alleged scam.
Contractor laws in the state of Florida are very important to follow. These laws can be confusing, though. If you are a contractor, it is important to follow all laws related to your profession so that you can avoid any unwanted run-ins with the law. However, mistakes do happen and if you find yourself facing criminal charges, our Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton are here to help.
If accused of construction fraud, you could face serious criminal consequences. In order to defend yourself against these charges, you need to enlist the help of a criminal defense lawyer with experience defending these types of cases. At Whittel & Melton, we have handled all types of fraud cases in the past. For more information, please feel free to call us at 813-2211-3200 or contact us online for a free consultation.