A statewide crackdown by California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) members who are investigators with the Contractors State License Board targeted unlicensed contractors and resulted in 78 arrests.

"Some of the people arrested are people you don't want to have in your home," said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona.  "A sex offender, a convicted rapist, guys with drugs on them and warrants out for their arrests.  Thankfully, these investigators continue in their pursuit of unlicensed contractors.  An unlicensed contractor hasn't had a background check."

This week, investigators posed as homeowners seeking bids for home improvement projects  in Chico, Oakdale, Bakersfield, Lawndale, Orange And San Bernardino.  Six locations in two days.    Not only did investigators arrest 78 people for contracting without a license, several of them had criminal convictions, fake identifications and/or face deportation.

One man investigators arrested in Oakdale is a registered sex offender and another is on federal probation for bribery.  

In Bakersfield, investigators arrested a man who has a prior conviction for statutory rape and another man who had an arrest warrant for corporal punishment of a minor child and vehicle theft.

Two men arrested in San Bernardino are to be deported, one for felony drug, burglary and firearms violations and the other on felony charges including corporal abuse.

"Some of these people arrested for contracting without a license are repeat offenders or have had their licensed revoked for violating the law," said Barcelona.  "These types of workers shouldn't be trusted, they can skip out on the job, skip out with your money and you have little recourse as a homeowner.   Our investigators have no shortage of work out there and I applaud them for their continuing effort to protect consumers as well as California's economy."