Over a dozen unlicensed Manatee County contractors busted in sting, deputies say

Michael Moore Jr.
·3 min read
4

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrested over a dozen contractors in an unlicensed contractor sting this week, the agency announced in a news release Friday.

In the three-day sting between April 23 and 25, the sheriff’s office said 16 contractors face nearly 50 charges of failure to obtain workers’ compensation coverage and unlicensed contracting.

The sheriff’s office also said deputies issued two citations and one summons related to the charges.

The sheriff’s office partnered with the Florida Department of Financial Service’s Division of Investigative and Forensic Services and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for the operation, according to the release.

Arrest records show that the operation took place at a house in Bradenton.

In one arrest, a man was contracted to install eight lights in a kitchen and change out a water heater in exchange for $12,750, but he was not registered or certified as a licensed contractor, according to an arrest record.

In another case, a man arrived at the house to move the shower handle for $3,300, in addition to installing kitchen lights for $1,000 and upgrading the water heater size for $600, according to an arrest report.

Manatee County unlicensed contractor sting

The sheriff’s office routinely performs these sting operations to catch unlicensed contractors. A similar operation in August 2023 resulted in the arrest of fourteen contractors.

These sixteen men are facing charges:

  • Brennan Fleet Tanner, 31: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Blaine Michael Benson, 31: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Francis E Jakubajtys, 58: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Andrew Clayton Sampson, 42: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Paul Roy Slaughter III, 39: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Aryam Garcia Bellido De Luna, 25: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Troy Childs, 55: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Pedro Antonio Laureano, 48: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Kerry Curtis Lee, 60: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing.

  • Oscar Antonio Figueroa Zelaya, 52: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Luis A. Rosario, 42: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Christopher Valentin, 42: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Nicholas Joseph Austine, 54: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing.

  • Kim Gordon Mcnulty, 40: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage.

  • Sergio Vargas-Olayo, 50: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical.

  • Alan Hart, 40: failure to secure workers comp insurance coverage, engage in contractor business w/o certification-plumbing, engage in contractor business w/o certification-electrical, driving while license suspended.