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www.cslb.ca.gov | CheckTheLicenseFirst.com | SeniorScamStopper.com |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 23, 2011 |
CSLB #11-29 |
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CSLB Media Contacts |
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Rick Lopes |
Melanie Bedwell |
Venus Stromberg |
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Notorious Unlicensed Operator Arrested at CSLB HeadquartersMan with extensive history of using licenses not issued to him taken to jail
SACRAMENTO – Investigators from the Contractors State License Board’s (CSLB) Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) and Rancho Cordova Police officers today arrested a notorious unlicensed operator with a history of using contractor licenses not issued to him.
Charles Peter Maffia, 67, of Rancho Cordova, was booked in the Sacramento County Main Jail this afternoon, with bail set at $40,000. His arraignment is set for Thursday, August 25, 2011, in Department 61 of Sacramento County Superior Court.
Maffia is charged with nine felony counts of fraudulent use of an incorrect contractor license, three misdemeanor counts of contracting without a license, 14 misdemeanor counts of illegal advertising, and felony violation of probation. Maffia was already on formal probation for felony fraudulent use of a contractor license number not issued to him, following a 2006 arrest on this and related charges.
Maffia has a complaint history with CSLB that stretches back to 1980. His criminal background includes almost four years (44 months) in state prison for the fraudulent use of a contractor license.
Leading to the latest arrest, CSLB’s SWIFT unit received leads from two former employees and a customer that Maffia was doing business as Wolf Excavation, Inc., and using other people’s contractor licenses, which was verified by investigators.
A video on YouTube shows Maffia’s company engaged in a paving project and includes a link to a website. The website indicates Wolf Excavation is a full-service construction company offering paving, asphalt, and residential remodeling. There is a similar page on Facebook for Wolf Excavation, Inc., and ads on Craigslist.
Maffia applied for a CSLB license, which was rejected due to lack of the required four years of journey-level experience, as required by state law. CSLB investigators put a block on the license, and when Maffia came to the CSLB headquarters today to try and have the block lifted, Rancho Cordova Police arrested him.
The business owner who reported Maffia’s unlicensed activity to SWIFT hired Wolf Excavation in June for an $8,100 project as a result of a Craigslist ad. After the work was completed, the consumer found that many areas of paving were in need of repair. After researching Maffia on the CSLB website, the business owner found that the contractor license number provided by Wolf Excavation was issued to another entity. He also found reports about Maffia’s previous arrest for fraudulent use of a contractor license and related charges.
One former employee who reported Maffia to SWIFT said that he had been hired with the understanding that he would receive a company vehicle and health insurance. He did not receive either, was not paid, and was told to fill out a form classifying him as an independent contractor, which he refused to do and quit. The other employee, who had also quit, stated that he was not paid for about $8,000 in wages.
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