DUNEDIN, Fla. — Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced Monday the arrests of 152 people accused of operating as unlicensed contractors.
Gualtieri estimated about $700,000 worth of unlicensed work. It’s money he said licensed contractors are losing out on.
“If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Gualtieri said.
Gualtieri said the unlicensed contractors in “Operation Punch List” face a combined 331 charges. He said many of them aren’t trying to make a living and have no intention of doing the work or job the right way.
During a Monday morning news conference, Gualtieri provided several examples of some of the scams, including one man who advertised himself as the 'topless handyman.'
Other incidents included roofers showing up without ladders and a registered sex offender showing up to do work, Gualtieri said.
One woman showed up clearly intoxicated and had peed her pants.
“If it doesn’t sound right, it’s probably not right,” Gualtieri said. “Listen to your instincts on this.”
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