January 14, 2005
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

SHERIFF’S OFFICE CRACKS DOWN ON ROOFING SCAMS 

The roof repair business is booming as Floridians continue to mend the damage from the ravages of last year’s devastating hurricanes. And that means plenty of unlicensed contractors and scam artists looking to make a quick, dishonest buck. 

Earlier this week, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office charged an Ormond Beach man with contracting without a license and obtained arrest warrants for a North Carolina man accused of scamming local hurricane victims out of thousands of dollars. The victims include an 85-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman, both from Ormond Beach. And in just the past two weeks, the Sheriff’s Office has received four additional complaints from victims who said they paid for roof repairs that weren’t done. 

Sheriff’s investigators are warning others to be cautious and closely scrutinize all contractors before hiring them to perform home repairs. “Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people who are willing to financially exploit the misfortune of others,” warned Sergeant Jim Turner, who supervises a team of Sheriff’s investigators in the Ormond Beach area, where many of the complaints have originated. “Anyone having work done on their homes should have their contractor thoroughly checked out to make sure they’re properly licensed before paying out any money. We don’t want to see hurricane victims victimized by criminals, and we will vigorously pursue the prosecution of anyone who defrauds our citizens. We simply won’t tolerate it.” 

On Tuesday, Sheriff’s investigators, working in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office, arrested 47-year-old Chester Cavarretta, Jr. on one count of contracting without a license. Normally a misdemeanor offense, the charge is a 3rd-degree felony because it occurred during a declared emergency. Days after Hurricane Frances struck Florida in September, Governor Bush issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency. In November, the governor extended the order for another 180 days. Cavarretta is accused of performing roof repairs on a home in Ormond Beach. The investigation revealed that Cavarretta lied about having a contractor’s license on a flier he distributed in area neighborhoods to solicit business. Cavarretta was released from the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach on Thursday after posting $10,000 bond. 

Meanwhile, investigators are trying to locate 54-year-old Richard Riner, whom officials fear may have fled the state after allegedly bilking local residents out of thousands of dollars. Riner solicited customers by placing an ad listing a phony license number in a local shopper. Business was so brisk that in one day back in October, within a 36-minute time span, Riner cashed three different checks from unsuspecting victims totaling nearly $4,500. The money was supposed to be down payments on roof repairs on the victims’ homes. The problem was that Riner, who doesn’t have a contractor’s license, skipped out of town without doing the work. However, he left plenty of evidence behind for investigators following his trail, including images captured on bank surveillance cameras and his thumbprint on the cashed checks. On Monday, investigators obtained warrants charging Riner with three counts of grant theft. South Daytona police also are investigating at least two other cases believed to be connected to Riner, who is still at large. 

Residents seeking home repair work are urged to always hire a licensed contractor. According to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), a contractor’s license is required for any structural additions, roofing, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical or alarm work as well as any job requiring a building permit. Licenses can be verified by calling (850) 487-1395 or by visiting the state’s web site at http://www.myfloridalicense.com/. In the case of contractors who are issued a specialty roofing license permitted under the state’s emergency declaration, DBPR recommends that consumers ask to see a copy of the license issued by the local jurisdiction and verify the licensure with the local building department.