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MANATEE COUNTY — The Florida Department of Financial Services charged nine contractors doing work in Manatee County with failure to provide workers' compensation insurance and working without proper licenses.
The arrests stem from a two-day undercover operation, according to a release from Florida CFO Jeff Atwater's office. The Florida Department of Financial Services' Division of Insurance Fraud and Bureau of Compliance conducted the operation. It worked in conjunction with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Manatee County Sheriff's office, the Bradenton and Holmes Beach Police departments and the Manatee County State Attorney's Office.
“This activity displays a blatant disregard for worker safety, and I commend this joint effort,” Atwater says in the release. “We will continue working to protect the integrity of the construction industry in Florida and make sure these fraudsters can't put more Floridians at risk.”
The Department of Financial Services initiated an investigation after learning that several businesses within the county didn't hold adequate workers' compensation coverage, the release states. The investigation then found that the same individuals were operating without adequate licenses. “Undercover law enforcement agents arranged a meeting with the alleged unlicensed workers at a local home to obtain an estimate for construction work,” the release states, “and upon securing a quote, the arrests were made.”
The contractors face up to five years of prison time on each workers' compensation charge if convicted. They also face an additional year in prison if convicted for a first time unlicensed contractor charge and five years if it's a repeat offense.
The contractors charged with the offenses, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services, are:
• Clifford Hatina
• Michael John Kantor
• Scott Rodocker
• Allen R Authur
• Walter L Powe
• Christopher Myrick
• David Perez
• Adam Mark Levine
• Paul Scott Eard
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