Felony charges filed against unlicensed contractors working in Eaton Fire area

Unlicensed contractors who allegedly targeted victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena face felony charges, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced on Thursday.

Five people have been charged with being unlicensed contractors under the California Business Professions Code, 7028.16. The statute addresses anyone acting as a contractor for repairs or improvements on damaged property during a disaster recovery period without a valid license.

A first offense can result in a fine up to $10,000, or 16 months, 2, or 3 years in prison, or both; repeat offenses can escalate, per the statute.

Hochman called the unlicensed contractors part of the "tragic underbelly" of the rebuilding process, allegedly profiting and taking advantage of community members in an area of a declared emergency.

He explained that unlicensed contractors are being targeted as they offer expedient and affordable services, asking for money up front while not being insured.

"So if something goes wrong during this construction process, and you want to go after their insurance, they have no insurance to go after … this then increases the likelihood of fraud. You're going to give them a whole lot of money upfront, and you may never see them again," Hochman said.

He also warned of unsafe construction, and the property owner's responsibility should someone be injured on their property during construction.

"If you hire an unlicensed contractor and they bring some workers onto your property and somebody gets injured, guess who they are going to sue, it's not workman's comp, it's not the contractor … you will be sued," Hochman said.

Signs will be placed in the hard-hit communities that read, "Warning: Wildfire State of Emergency. Unlicensed contractor fraud will be prosecuted. Penalties up to 3 years in prison, and/or $10,000 fine." The signs also provide QR codes, so consumers can verify contractor licenses.