Unlicensed contractors nabbed in Stanislaus County sting

A registered sex offender from Ripon and a Copperopolis resident on federal probation were among 21 people arrested this week during a sting conducted by the Contractors State License Board and law enforcement officers in Stanislaus County.

It was part of a statewide effort that netted a total of 78 arrests in six areas of the state.

Authorities working in the Oakdale area nabbed Emilio Blaisdell Quackenbush, 33, of Ripon, who has been operating as an unlicensed drywall and flooring contractor. He is a Megan's law registrant, convicted of committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child 14 or 15 years of age and for being 10 years older than the victim.

He allegedly submitted a $22,500 bid for a job in the Oakdale area without a license and had advertised illegally.

And they arrested Michael Anthony Giuiland — a Copperopolis man on federal probation stemming from a bribery conviction — for displaying a license that wasn't his.

All 21 face misdemeanor charges of contracting without a license and illegal advertising. Some merited other charges, including demanding an excessive down payment or worker compensation insurance violation.

Also scheduled to appear May 1 in Stanislaus County Superior Court are: Christian Villa, Rommell Martinez, Robert Anthony Miller, Corey Tate, Jose Eligio Gerra DeLaCruz, Tom Villalovos, Joel Perez, Stephen Dale Cooper, Eliseo Medina and Matteo Natale, all of Modesto; Robert Michael Bratton of Fresno; Alfred Luther Johnson Jr., Alberto Joe Yanez and Angel Trejo-Galan of Stockton; Juan Carlos Cortez of Riverbank; Juan Carlos Rios of Turlock; David Mathew Riccio of Copperopolis; and August Watkins and Hugh Roger Chase of Manteca.

The penalty for contracting without a license is up to six months in jail and-or a fine of up to $5,000. The illegal advertising charges carry fines of $700 to $1,000. An unlicensed contractor can advertise for jobs up to $500, but must state clearly in the ad that he or she is not licensed.

Those convicted of charging excessive down payments could get up to six months in jail and pay a fine up to $5,000.

And those who violated orders to stop working until they provided worker compensation insurance for their employees could face 60 days in jail and-or as much as $10,000 in fines.