SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested four men after an undercover operation to find unlicensed contractors.
The sheriff’s office arrested the men on multiple charges related to putting in bids to perform work in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
“What we look for is people coming in and giving bids on and giving bids on work they are not licensed to do, things like remodeling, roofing, plumbing, things like that, the major projects that you need a licensed contractor to do,” said Captain Joe Giasone of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office said James Taylor, Jr. offered to do work to replace a screen enclosure and do roofing work, without a license. The is the fourth time Taylor has been arrested on similar charges.
The Sheriff’s office also arrested Theodore Gavales, Kenton Feydt, and Vitali Petrov in the undercover operation.
Captain Giasone said homeowners should always check a contractor’s license before allowing any work to be done.
“It’s easy for homeowners, they can go online and see who’s got a license, they can request to see the license number. It’s very simple to protect yourself,” Giasone said.