5 unlicensed contractors arrested in Manatee County, contractor fraud causes headache for homeowners

www.fox13news.com, Kimberly Kuizon, March 10, 2025

BRADENTON, Fla. - Five unlicensed contractors were arrested by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

The backstory: Working with the Manatee County Code Enforcement and Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the operation focused on workers who shouldn’t be offering services to homeowners.

"The unlicensed guys are going through the neighborhood, trying to make contact with people. They see damage to your home whether it be roofing or plumbing from the outside, and they’ll reach out to the homeowners," said Sgt. Jason Farrier.

Sgt. Farrier with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said those arrested were well aware they couldn’t work without the proper license.

First-time offenders were not arrested, but given a fine or a cease and desist letter along with a notice to appear.

How can you spot an unlicensed contractor?

According to Sgt. Farrier, after storms like Debby, Helene and Milton they see an uptick in contractor fraud cases.

He said there’s often a clear sign.

"What these guys will do, these licensed contractors do is they underbid a lot of these jobs so it’s important for the public to understand that and know who you are employing," he said.

Who was arrested?

46-year-old Rafael Enrique Rivas Ojeda was arrested for: engaging in contract business w/o certification-plumbing

44-year-old Maor Kfir was arrested for: failing to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engaging in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing

55-year-old Chad Michael Adair was arrested for: engaging in contractor business w/o certification-electric

46-year-old Christoper V. Leissler was arrested for: engaging in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing

Why you should care: While they sound like they know what they are doing and maybe some of them do, Sgt. Farrier said the odds are if you hire an unlicensed contractor, your work can turn into a can of worms.

"You get the unlicensed guys, these guys that aren’t really professionals in their field they have a task that they are good at, but if something goes wrong you will end up being liable as the homeowner," he said.

So, he offers this advice to homeowners.

"Understand who they are, know their business, know what they’re doing and if the type of work requires a license, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check if that person or company has a license to do that work," said Sgt. Farrier.

News article: 5 unlicensed contractors arrested in Manatee County, contractor fraud causes headache for homeowners | FOX 13 Tampa Bay