Our California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA)  members who are investigators with the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) put more than just a crimp in 16 contractors' day, they caught them in a sting designed to snare those violating state contracting laws.

Investigators setup shop at a home near Fresno State last week. Using ads from the internet, they scheduled home improvement bids for yard and house work.    When the jobs are valued at $500 or more, the work must be done by a company or person with a CSLB contractor license. 

So what happened?  One man was taken to jail and 15 others were cited for various violations, including operating without a license.

"You have to wonder, when are these guys going to get it?" said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona.  "These stings go on all the time throughout California and the citations are widely publicized, yet these unlicensed contractors continue to put consumers at risk and undermine our state's economy."

Here's the tally:

• 16 cited for contacting without a license
• 11 (of 16) cited for violating contractor advertising laws
• 7 (of 16) cited for driving without a valid license
• 1 (of 16) arrested on a dui warrant
• 6 cars impounded and towed

The sting took place in Clovis February 13 and 14, 2013