13 Charged In Workers Comp, Unlicensed Contractors Sting: Sheriff

Bradenton FL

18 October, 2021

12:41 PM

Description

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Following a workers compensation fraud and unlicensed contractor operation, 13 people face charges, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The sting was conducted Tuesday through Thursday by the sheriff's office, the Division of Investigative and Forensic Services with the Florida Department of Financial Services, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Manatee County Code Enforcement, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The purpose of the operation was to address unlicensed contractors who are working without the required contractor license and engaging in construction class work without the required workers' compensation insurance exemptions, the sheriff's office said. Those charged with failure to obtain workers compensation coverage and unlicensed contracting include: Earl Brown, 47Robert Edwards, 39Junio Goncalves-Fonseca, 41Jake Gratkowski, 28David Lamothe, 80Loren Leonard, 47Harold Leventry, 63Carlos Pena, 43Oved Otachy, 47Robert Pinas, 31Jonathan Pipes, 37Andrei Razmeritsa, 38John Small, 73