SALINAS – On December 11, 2018 the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced that licensed contractor Daniel Edward Clark, 66, of Salinas, entered a plea of no contest to a misdemeanor charge that he failed to obtain workers’ compensation insurance for his employees in June 2018.

Clark is a California contractor who owns and manages D&E Construction. On June 14, 2018, the Contractors State Licensing Board (CSLB) investigated a construction project in Salinas. The CSLB investigator observed advertising for D&E Construction and saw four workers performing paving work. The CSLB investigator reviewed the licensing records for D&E Construction and verified that the company had reported having no employees. The CSLB issued a stop order and referred the case to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit.

On October 30, 2018, the District Attorney charged Clark with a violation of Labor Code section 3700.5(b) – a misdemeanor. After his plea of no contest, Judge Elisabeth K. Mineta sentenced Clark to 3 years’ probation and a $10,000 fine, although $9,500 will be suspended pending Clark’s successful completion of probation.

This case was investigated by the Contractors State Licensing Board with assistance from District Attorney Investigator Martin Sanchez.

“Hiring workers and not having workers’ comp insurance for them puts the workers and the property owner at extreme financial risk,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “This case is an example of the consumer protection work done by CSLB investigators.”