Contractors Busted in Redondo

A two-day sting operation netted 14 suspected unlicensed contractors last week.

State investigators posed as homeowners seeking flooring and masonry work. Suspects who bid for jobs exceeding $500 without licenses were arrested.

Contractors without licenses can accept jobs as long as they state that they don't have licenses and charge less than $500.

Redondo police conducted the sting with the city attorney's office and an investigative fraud team from the state's Contractors State License Board.

"We get complaints all the time about these scam artists ripping people off—mostly senior citizens," Sgt. Peter Grimm of the Redondo Beach Police Department said. "So we did the sting operation to protect them."

 The suspects are expected to appear in court in Torrance in December.